Blue to Violet
by kola shadowfire
Summary: sequel to Violet to Blue don't expect the same storyline and beware...hard times ahead...
1. Chapter 1

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Chapter 1

It had been two months since the fateful day when Deathscythe had been stranded underwater. He and Duo were, of course, back in action as soon as possible and the five Gundams now had an even more formidable reputation than they did before. Thanks to Wing and Heero all battles proved to be successful. It was still amazing to watch the two, the others all too aware of why they had been chosen for each other and why Heero was described as the perfect soldier. No more rules had been broken, there had been no more deaths or near deaths or even apparent deaths apart from the usual heat of battle stuff.

They didn't talk about that time that much, and when they did were only light-hearted about it, because it had been an awful day for them all, especially for two. Heero and Duo from that day on were best mates, closer than every before. Both were quite surprised, Duo had never had someone get to him this way, even though he had had best mates before. For Heero, it was totally new; he had no idea what he was doing and was still wary, but was worried about how much he had come to depend on the boy, even though he knew there was nothing he could do about it. The five pilots all got on really well and the others had been delighted to see Heero lightening up a little bit and maybe even taking a small amount of pleasure in what he did from time to time. They all knew that they would never get as close as Duo, but part of them didn't care as all of them slowly trained themselves to notice the teeny tiny shows of emotion that showed the scientist's failure. 

Talking of that, Heero learned very soon that pasts were not things to be mentioned. Quatre, the one pilot in the group who had not had a bad past, had pointed this out to him. The other four all had, some worse than others and Heero was no exception. He never said anything about it, only went silent when anything came slightly close. Apart from the argument between him and Duo, Heero had never heard, never asked for or even wanted anything more to do with Duo's past if he didn't want it, so almost forgot it, though was still careful about what he said about orders.

He had basically attempted to memory blank that day in the case of orders. He knew that he had broken the most fundamental rule he had been taught all hid life, but then the side of him that Duo had woken told him that it was ok every now and again, when you know that the order is wrong and people will die who don't have to. Even so, he still wasn't sure where the line was drawn, and he put it down to his instincts. Those, too, nobody mentioned. Nobody mentioned the fact that he was too perfect, too strong, agile, quick, in-tune with seemingly everything. All except Duo, of course, who still called him Superman every now and again.

He was still on the very wrong side of Treize, and probably always would be. He didn't care. As long as Treize kept his personal feelings to himself and didn't let them get in the way of a mission, Heero was all right. He was painfully aware of Wufei's situation. After he learned of what Treize had done to Heero, he had redoubled his efforts to get better at the sword. Heero was worried that he would challenge Treize sometimes soon, and prayed that Wufei was as good as he really looked. He didn't want the permanent blood of a colleague on his hands. That was another thing that changed. Duo had been right, he had begun to care. He began to look out for the other four as well as himself and the objective in the Gundam battles. Another thing to thank Duo for.

They had gone to school, the same school the girls went to. Heero found the girls extremely annoying. Especially Relena, who had developed a "crush" on him, according to Duo, who found it all highly amusing. She would be following him around the whole time, making dumb comments and giggling incessantly. Apart from her, school was ok. The five pilots tended to keep to themselves, and they were under strict undercover conditions. There were to be no talking about the Gundams anywhere on school property. Heero actually had to stuff Duo's braid in his mouth to stop him sometimes, either that or hit him.

They were, at the moment, all at the beach. Well, running towards it. The five of them carried their jackets over their shoulders; their training uniform on. This mainly consisted of combats, black, and a vest that was white. They reached the shingle beach and chucked their stuff on the floor. Duo pulled his vest over his head, looking over at the rest. Trowa had stripped to a pair of boxer trunks that he was wearing, Quatre in Speedo's. Wufei entered in his trousers due to "religious reasons", and Heero. Duo smiled as he remembered when he had first come across the black Spandex cycling shorts that he wore when training. He had to go out of the room for a minute. They weren't exactly baggy, let's leave the explanation to that. Heero was now in them, and as he turned around, Duo noticed, not for the first time, the small tattoo in the middle of the small of his back. It looked like a serial number, and the number was 043.

He pushed it to the back of his mind as first Quatre, and then Trowa gasped as they entered the cold water. Wufei took a flying leap with a cry, and Heero dived in gracefully. Duo took a running jump, yelling with anticipation of the cold as he bombed in.

His head flew up out of the water. Gasping.

"It's freezing in here!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the valley.

"Baka! You landed on me!" Heero said, beside him, shaking the water out of his hair. Duo felt the tingle and quickly looked away to stop him embarrassing himself. His trunks, boxers, now billowed around him in the water. He swam with strong strokes until he couldn't reach the bottom.

"Heero?" he asked, his voice loud. Heero grunted, and Duo, used to it, took it as a confirmation of his existence. "What does baka mean?" There was short silence.

"Rough translation is…idiot." Heero finished, but Duo caught the glimpse of an evil look in his eyes before he turned away. Duo rolled his own eyes, maybe he didn't want to know what it meant, but Heero called him one an awful lot, probably because Duo was now at grade A at the Annoying Heero Awards.

He swam strongly back to where the others were. Trowa and Wufei were fighting gently. Well, maybe not that gently, but it was play. Duo crept up almost silently behind Heero, who was talking, wait, listening to Quatre. With an evil grin on his face, Duo suddenly leapt out of the water, landing with a cry on Heero's back. Heero yelled and the fell into the waist deep water. They shot back up again as Heero stood, Duo still clinging to his back, laughing. The laugh turned to a yelp as Heero twisted and, somehow, he wasn't quite sure how, but he found himself underwater and held there by a hand that seemed rock solid.

He struggled, but it was no use, and he started to run out of air. He tried even harder, but it only succeeded in making him want air more. The familiar panicking rose in his stomach, but just as he thought he was going to pass out, Heero lifted him up, his hands under his arms, so that Duo's face was next to his, his limp body off the ground.

"Do not, ever, do that again, baka." He said, sternly, the evil glare on his face. Duo simply stared at him.

"You…nearly killed me!" Duo spluttered.

"I would not have done. I know exactly when to take you back up again."

"I'm not gonna ask where you got that knowledge from." Duo said, "Now let me go." He added, squirming, though knowing he wasn't going to get out.

"Put him down, Yuy. Even though I'm sure we would all want him dead at times this is not one of them."

It could only be Zechs, and, as Heero set him back down in the floor of the lake, Duo looked over and saw that he was right. The blonde haired masked man was standing by the lake. "Briefing room in five." He said, before stooping and grabbing their clothes before heading back.

"Hey!" Duo yelled, trying to get to him, but he had already gone, his silvery laugh echoing through the valley. "I can't believe he just stole our clothes!" Duo said, staring dumbly after him.

"I'm not complaining." Trowa said, and, sure enough, he was grinning at Quatre, who was blushing when Duo turned around. He looked at Heero and rolled his eyes.

"Lovers." he said, shaking his head, and then they walked out. Heero looked over at Duo. The water trickled down in drips down his chest and his hair was now a dark brown and in a thick, messy plait. He sighed; it would take Duo some time to redo it. He had watched while he had done it before, not that he minded. He loved Duo's hair, and it always made him shudder when it brushed past him. He shook his head in fierce denial, he didn't think like that, because he hated where he thought it would lead to. They squelched through the corridor and were told to go up the back stair by the cleaner. They trudged up and went to dry off and change.

**************

"Finally." Treize said simply. The boys were ten minutes late. "I don't want to know." He added as Duo opened his mouth to object. The five pilots now stood in a row in the casual clothes that they wore most of the time before him, Zechs, Noin and Lady Une. Heero was in his now trademark green tank tops which he had the confidence and body to tuck into the Spandex shorts. Under that he wore plain white trainers and trainer socks, his muscular calves shown off to the world. Duo was in his very noticeable outfit. Black. All of it. Black heavy trousers that fell heavily on his black, heavy shoes. His top was a thick, heavy T-shirt tucked into those trousers which were done up by a belt. There were thick white bands on the edge of the sleeves. The collar was the most noticeable part of it. It had a dog collar, like a priest. He pretty much always wore it. Nobody had asked, but when he caught people looking, he simply told them it was a "rebellion against God". Trowa wore light blue jeans tucked into black, elegant boots. Over that he wore a deep navy blue polo neck top, tucked in. Wufei was in large, Chinese style white trousers tucked into the flat, black Chinese shoes he always wore. The trouser came up to his rib cage, a blue belt fastening it up. Under that, on his top was a tight blue tank top, tighter than Heero's and ending higher up his chest. Finally, Quatre wore light brown smart trousers with dark brown shoes. Over this was a pale pink shirt tucked in with a deep blue waistcoat over it. He always looked out of place with the others, but, then again, they weren't what anybody would really consider as "normal".

They now were all looking expectantly at Treize. He took a breath, and then started.

"Right, I am sending you on your first mission with all five of you. We have been noticing a heightened, very large amount of communication between the science guild of L1 and the Alliance HQ. We have suspicions that they are helping making the motion dolls, or even creating an army. You have all heard the rumours. Well, we have reason to believe that this is the HQ of the whole things, and the others were just branches. What we want you lot to do is to get in there, get to know the place. Find information on it, labs if you can, use the computer system, anything you want, just find out if there is anything going on between the two. If there is, show us and we will personally make it our job to destroy it. This is a strict re-con mission and you will only be returning in an emergency or if you have got the data needed. There is to be no shooting, no deaths. First priority is your identities, as usual. If you must take a life, keep it quiet and discreet. Ask Duo or Trowa for tips. Do NOT take Heero's example."

There were a few chuckles and Heero stayed blank. He was now known for his tendency and skill of running in there and blowing the place sky high. Duo had made up a motto: "explode-into-tiny-pieces-that-float-into-space…then ask the questions." "Any queries?" Treize asked.

"When are we going?" Duo asked.

"Tomorrow morning. We are leaving for the spaceport at five in the morning. Be outside the front at four fifty. Do not be late. Any more?"

"Will we be receiving equipment?" Trowa asked.

"Yes but bring your own if you have preferences." Treize answered him. "Any more?"

There was silence. "Good, now get back to your flats and go to bed. Zechs, Noin, make sure they are all in separate rooms."

"We get to go to bed early? Cool." Duo cried as they went up the stairs. His two main hobbies were sleeping and eating. They went up the corridor and said bye to Wufei, Trowa and Quatre before Duo stopped outside his door. He turned to Heero, a frown on his face. "Are you ok, man?" he asked. "You've been quiet…I mean, quieter than usual? Everything ok?"

He got a blank look and then Heero walked off to his own flat. Duo frowned even more. Heero definitely had been quieter than usual, was certainly not telling him something. There was definitely something wrong, but Duo couldn't tell what it was or how he knew, what was different. Something just was. He went in, got into his sweatpants and crawled into bed, his amazing ability to go to sleep in seconds helping him. He was snoring in minutes, dead to the world. Or almost.

**************

He woke and it was still dark. He groaned, wondering why he had woken. As he heard what had, he realised that he should have known. A yell, a moan, a plead, all coming from Heero's room. Duo now knew better than to go and disturb him, but he had to fight it all the same. Heero sounded like he really was having a hard time, it was louder and more real than it had been the first few times. He really wanted to go and wake him, but he feared for his own life if he did. He jumped and shuddered as there was a final, raw shriek, and then it stopped. Either Heero had woken, or fallen in a better dream in his sleep. 

With another moan, Duo realised that he was now fully awake, and it was three in the morning. He sighed, might as well get up and get ready. He wasn't going to sleep again and didn't really want to as Heero's pleads and last shriek were still playing up in his mind. He surprised himself by getting out of bed and turning every single light on in the entire flat. After frowning, he decided that he was actually scared of Heero knowing Duo had heard him. Smiling a little and shaking his head, he went to pack.

He put on his "choirboy" suit as they called it, and then the light gold chain with the large, elegant gold cross on the end hung over it. Then, he packed a few changes of clothes into a small bag along with his toothbrush and stuff like that. Finally, he brushed out his wonderful hair, and plaited it back up into his trademark braid. By the time he had done all of this, it was about four, and he slumped onto the sofa, switching the TV on. There were a few random programmes and some cartoons and he laughed like a kid for a wile before there was a knock on the door.

As usual with this particular visitor it was opened before Duo could say anything. Heero closed it behind him and walked over to sofa as Duo turned to cartoons off quickly.

"Ahem, just, keeping up on the times." He said, grinning a little. Heero was silent. He was in his usual spandex and green tank top, but there was something different. He was even more subdued than he should be. The eyes that had gradually been turning softer were now suddenly cold, and Duo realised how much he had changed while he had been here. This was the old Heero, the one he had saved from the minions all that time before. His blue eyes were dead, nothing in them; they could have belonged to a corpse. "Heero, man. What is up?" Duo asked, trying again. Heero was silent, no grunt not even a shrug telling Duo he was even alive. "Ok, man, you're freakin me. At least show me you're not a comatose."

Heero looked up at him and Duo had to look away. It really was like trying to have a staring contest with a dead body. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence, or was it? Duo looked back over at him for a while, and found Heero just staring at him. Not at his eyes, just him, he was just looking at him and Duo got the impression that talking was not required or wanted right now.

"We have to go." Heero said, suddenly, his voice croakier than it should be, Duo didn't blame it. He got up and went to the door. "Thank you." He muttered, and disappeared. Duo frowned and wondered what the hell had just happened. Working out quite soon that he wasn't going to find out by just thinking about it, he sighed, shrugged and went to collect his things.

He went out of the door and met Heero, who looked away and didn't say anything. They met the other pilots on the way, all looking very sleepy and tired and there wasn't any talking on the way down, not even from Duo. They went to the outside and met Zechs there.

"Right, get in. The car will take you to the spaceport. Good luck, don't get caught and no blowing up of the place." He said, looking at Heero, who answered by looking like none of the world actually existed at all. After he had gone in, Zechs caught Duo by the shoulder and took him away from the car.

"What are you doing?" Duo asked, confused. Zechs turned to him, his ice blue eyes serious and firm.

"Look after him Duo." He said, simply.

"Look after who?"

"Who do you think? We were expecting this kind of reaction from him because we think he has a past from this place. Treize thinks he can handle it but I want you to be there for him, ok? Even if he denies that he needs you, be persistent."

"And if he threatens me with physical harm?"

"You've survived it before. We do not want him going crazy. Do you understand? Duo?"

"Yeah, alright. What do you think is wrong?"

"We don't know, you probably know more than the rest of us."

"I know jack!"

"Exactly. Now go. Good luck. With both assignments."

"I'm gonna need it." Duo muttered, grimacing before he went to the car. He climbed in and shook his head at the questioning glances from all the others apart from Heero. "Let's go." He said to the driver, and he drove the five pilots off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

It was another hour before they got to the spaceport and another half an hour after that that the ship took off. It looked like a normal plane; just a lot more streamlined and with engines nearly as big as the plane itself. There were cabins for the separate groups, and the five boys were put into one of their own. It was pretty normal. The floor was a black lino and the walls were a dark grey in colour. There were two bunk beds in one corner and a corner sofa that stretched most of the way around the other sides. Most of them threw themselves onto this. Quatre snuggled up to Trowa and was soon fast asleep. Wufei closed his own eyes and started snoring gently and Duo just sat, humming quietly and tapping his foot. Heero had gone to lie down on one of the beds and was now asleep, or that was what Duo thought because his breathing was regular.

"Duo?" Trowa asked, quietly as so not to wake the others.

"Trowa." Duo answered in the same tone.

"Is everything alright with…"

"Don't ask." Duo interrupted rolling his eyes. There was a silence. "You two really are inseparable, aren't you?" Duo asked after a while, grinning at the blonde haired boy in Trowa's arms. Trowa smiled back and stroked the blonde locks.

"Yes." He replied, smoothly. "It's hard to explain, but you kind of know when you meet someone like him that it's special. You don't know what it's like until it hits you, and sometimes you don't even recognise it then."

"Yeah, it must be great." Duo said, slightly wistfully.

"You'll find someone." Trowa said, reading hi s mind, it seemed. He was good at doing that. "That is, if you haven't found them already."

"What?" Duo asked, turning back to him. Trowa simply smiled and went back to stroking Quatre's head. Duo frowned a little, what did Trowa mean by that? Did he mean…?

He looked up at the sleeping boy in the bunk bed. Did Trowa think that he…he couldn't say it. He couldn't even think it. His mind seemed to have blocked any sort of feeling toward Heero at all. He could only work with what he felt, he couldn't analyse it in any way. What had that perfect soldier done to him?

**************

It took them two hours to get to L1. Duo slept through most of it, and only woke when he heard the clank of the ship joining the landing pad. He sat up, stretching and yawning loudly, making Trowa smile.

"We should get the others up." He said. As Trowa tended to Quatre, Duo stood up and went over to the bunk bed. As he was about to shake Heero the boy sat up and got down as if he had been waiting. Duo shrugged and went to get Wufei up. He shook the Chinese boy a little carefully; Wufei had been known to suddenly leap out of his sleep and attempt to decapitate any body who was around. This time, though, his charcoal black eyes blinked open and he smiled a little at Duo before sitting up.

The ship has come to a complete stop. You may now collect your luggage and disembark. We hope you enjoyed your flight

"You know, I think someone really needs to bed her, she sounds like she needs a little excitement in her life." Duo stated as they got their baggage. Three of the four others laughed, and Duo grinned. "Let's go." He said, and led them off the ship and into the glass tunnel they had to walk through. Heero was walking at the back, and Duo cast a look towards him. Heero looked even more like a dead body, he was getting paler, but there was still a stony, blank look on his face that scared Duo a little. This really, really wasn't like him, or was it? His mind went back to the times when they had first entered the underground part of the rebel HQ. He had just frozen. Maybe this was where it all came to a head. Realising that he couldn't do this alone, he made a mental note to tell Trowa, if anyone could be discreet, it was him. Duo didn't do subtle.

They walked along the passage with the other passengers, and then came into the port. Electronic voices were going on in every language, telling everybody where to go and what to do but no one could understand them. Quatre grabbed a trolley, and they shoved their bags on them, Wufei pushing it along. They passed easily through customs and then went out into the L1 capital.

The L's; L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 were the colonies. They were built on asteroids that had been dragged into Earth's orbit and held there by gravity. Great, wide glass domes marked the cities and whole worlds formed under there. They had very different climates and traditions a bit like Earth does in its different countries. This climate was cold and wet, a bit like England. The five stood under the metal canopy that covered the taxi queue, being deafened by the rain on the corrugated iron. That was something they had far too much of in this place. The houses were made of it, the shelters, everything seemed to be made out of the damn stuff. They watched as people ran out of the rain with newspapers and umbrellas over their heads, and then a red taxi arrived.

"4, Vera Lane please." Duo asked as they all squashed into the back.

"Right." The man said in a thick accent. They drove slowly through the torrential rain until they came to a large alley. The taxi stopped. "I'm not taking you any further, it's a bad part of town." He warned, turning round to face them. "You boys should be careful."

"Thanks," Duo said, grinning and paying him the fare. "But we can take care of ourselves."

"Well you just do that. It should be the third door on the right. Which flat are you in?"

"Three." Duo replied.

"Then that's the one at the top." 

"Thanks, man, you've been great." Duo said, finally as he crawled out of the car. They ran down the alley and Towra put the key in the lock. They all rushed into the hall and collapsed against the door, breathing hard and totally soaked, even though they had only been out for a bout thirty seconds. Their eyes took in the dreary hall. Everything was grey. The floors and walls and ceiling were all supposed to be white, but had gone dirty with use and dust. The banisters were black iron and imposing and the stairs curled up the wall above their heads.

"Might as well go up." Quatre said, after a while, and Duo headed out first, closely followed by Heero. He went up the stairs, the layers of dust quietening their footsteps. They curled round the wall, passing the number one door, and then the number two. Finally, they came across the ceiling and a dirty green door with a faded gold three on it.

"Be my guest, Barton." Duo said, grimacing, and Trowa stepped forward, taking a key from his pocket. He inserted it into the keyhole and tried turning it.

"It's stuck." He said, trying again.

"Here, let me try." Wufei offered, but he couldn't do it, either. Duo heard a sigh from behind him and Heero pushed forward. He took the door handle and slammed it down. There was a sound of breaking wood and bending metal, and then the door opened. He walked in; leaving the others to pass the door in barely contained awe.

"Jesus." Duo muttered, and then looked up.

"That's the right word." Quatre added as they looked around. The place was pretty much a shambles. There was a short corridor with a bathroom on the left looking like it hadn't been cleaned since it was made and a bedroom with cracks all the way up the walls. There was a joint lounge/kitchen that they didn't even want to look at and then there was another bedroom with a double bed and a sofa bed. Finally, there was a tiny little study.

"Well, this is it, folks." Duo said, as cheerfully as he could. "Welcome home."

"Great." Wufei said, sarcastically.

"Why don't I make everybody a hot drink?" Quatre asked.

"You're braver than I am." Duo told him as he went off. They sat down on the sofas. There was a nasty creak as Wufei sat in the chair, and Trowa sank almost to the floor in his. Heero was pacing, and Duo tried sitting on the other sofa. "Ow! He yelled, springing up and clutching his rear end. The others laughed and the ice was broken. Duo grinned, in pain but laughing and then sat carefully back down on the other side. "Bloody sofas." He muttered and they laughed again. Then Quatre came in from the kitchen.

"It's the best I can do." He said, and offered them something that looked like dishwater. "Didn't think so." He said as he saw the other's faces and threw it down the sink before coming to sit down.

"Heero, come here, we need to work out what to do." Trowa said. Heero glanced up at him and then sat, slowly and carefully, next to Duo.

"Right," Duo said after giving Heero a worried look. "What are we gonna do first?"

"Fix the door." Wufei muttered, and they laughed a little. Duo put his hand mock –protectively on Heero's shoulder and cried out when Heero pushed it off so roughly it nearly knocked him off the sofa.

"Hey!" Trowa cried. "That was unnecessary." 

Heero glared at him and then stared at the floor.

"What is wrong with you, Yuy?" Wufei added, his voice also raised a little. "I don't know what the hell you're playing at but we don't attack fellow pilots."

"I'm fine, leave it." Duo muttered, but they wouldn't listen to him.

"You said yourself you were the perfect soldier."

"Trowa-chan…"

"Yeah, well is this what the perfect soldier is like? Losing it and going into mood swings?"

"I agree with Chang. Sounds like a moody little teenager to me."

There was a cry from Heero and a lot of things happened very fast. Heero leapt up at Trowa and Duo leapt up to Heero. Heero's fist slammed towards Trowa and Duo's wrist got in the way. There was a sickening crack and Duo yelled, grabbing the wrist that now stuck out at a funny angle. Wufei yelled and propelled himself towards Heero, who ducked too slow and they both went tumbling onto the floor.

The other three watched as they rolled about.

"Shit, he's going to kill him." Duo whispered, and he wasn't talking about Wufei. Next thing he knew, Quatre had disappeared and come back with the remains of the dishwater. He threw it over the two boys who yelled, springing away from each other, even more drenched than they had been. There was a very awkward silence, broken only by the pained gasps of Duo and the pants of Wufei. Heero was totally silent and so was Trowa. They seemed to be having a battle of minds. Deep blue eyes flashed at bright emerald ones and there seemed to be a beam coming from one to the other. Wufei, Duo and Quatre could only watch and look up at them. Trowa opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't!" Duo cried suddenly making them all jump. Heero turned to him and Duo looked away, unable to meet the gaze. He felt Heero walk towards him and tried to back away but was caught in an iron grip on his shoulders. One of Hero's hands pulled his head up so he was forced to look into Heero's face, but he refused to look in his eyes.

"Duo?" Heero asked, softly but with a voice edged with ice. Duo now looked up. It was the first word he had spoken since he knew he was coming. "I hurt you?" it wasn't a question, but not just a statement, either.

"A little."

"Let me see."

"It's ok."

"Let me see." Heero repeated, slower and firmer. Duo held up his wrist with his other hand and Heero took it in his own. Duo almost jumped at how gentle he was, he could hardly feel him turning it over and over, seemingly looking for something. Suddenly, without warning, he tightened his grip and twisted. Duo yelled in pain and sprung backwards, Heero being jumped on by the other three.

"No! No!" Duo yelled. "Stop! Trowa! Wufei! No!" he yelled finally, his voice loud enough to wake the dead. The others stopped and Heero looked up from the floor. Duo held his hand up and wiggled it a bit. It was still a little painful and stiff, but cured. "He fixed it." He said, quietly, and there was an awful silence.

"I'm sorry, Heero." Quatre said, after a while and held out his hand. Heero glared at him and got up himself. Trowa bristled.

"He apologised to you." He said.

"His problem." Heero replied, his voice now gruff. Duo was propelled back in time to when he had first met him, and he remembered what he was like then.

"Don't you…"

"Trowa, leave it." Duo said, and shook his head when Trowa glared at him. "Don't bother."

"I'm going to change." Wufei stated and Heero nodded. They went into separate rooms and the doors slammed. Duo used this turn to round angrily on Trowa.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he asked, his voice a furious whisper. He grabbed Trowa by the collar and pulled the boy towards him. "They think his whole past was from here. Imagine how I would be if I had to go back to a certain part of L2? For all we know the scientists may be the very ones he's been hiding from. What if you had to face the people who mistreated you, we have no idea what he's been through."

"Who told you all this?" Trowa asked.

"Zechs." Quatre answered for him. Duo nodded.

"He asked me to look out for him, even if he doesn't want it. I think you should, too Trowa, you're the closest apart from me, but he can't know, he'll freak. Being weak and all that."

"I'm sorry, Duo. I just can't bear you being hurt, I can't bear any of us being hurt." Trowa said, but Duo shook his head.

"No, worries, man. I'm ok, anyway." He said. They separated as Wufei and Heero came out. Heero had put a slightly darker tank top on and deep blue jeans that hugged his legs. The trainers were still the same and his hair was slightly wet. Wufei was in a white shirt and blue trousers, the opposite of what he was in before. They all sat down again.

"So," Duo started. "We need to get into this place."

"They said they wanted us to find out a few things." Trowa said, leaning forward. "So, what I think is that we should all get into the place and then split into two groups. What we need to do is try and find some physical evidence and we need to find computer evidence as well. So, I think the two who are best at stealth and computers should go for them, because one will have to be using the computer while the other looks out for them. The other three can go and look for the labs or whatever."

"Sounds good to me." Duo said. "So, I'll be stealth I can do that, but Quatre or Heero."

"Quatre." Trowa said immediately, "I'll want Heero with me, he can assassinate anybody quickly and quietly if I need it."

"Isn't that your job?" Duo asked.

"I'll be too busy pretending to be part of it, then Wufei can nod and smile behind me and Heero can pinch them in the neck and they'll be out for the count." Trowa said, a slight twinkle in his eyes, but when Heero nodded, looking at the floor, he shot a meaningful look at Duo. Duo nodded quickly, and understood. If they were right, and Heero had something to do with the place, then they would probably have files on him and he would leave them out. Firstly, Duo wanted to understand him and know what to do, but secondly, it may or may not have information that they needed for the mission as well.

"So, when will we go?" Quatre asked.

"I got a plan of the city." Wufei said, and got up to reach his bag. When he came back down he had a map in his hand. "That's where the public part of it is." He said, pointing to it, and Duo noticed that Heero looked as interested as the rest of them. "Will the private part be there too?"

"I should think so." Trowa answered who had the most experience in this area. "It may have some sort of secret entrance that we three will need to get into, but we can find that easily I should think."

"So, as I asked before. When are we gong?" Quatre asked again.

"I think as soon as." Duo answered, looking around for approval. "So, get a few basic things together ok, but nothing loud, we don't want them to know we're here. A few supplies are all you'll need. Casual clothing, no uniforms; that will only make them more suspicious. We go in, we look, we find, we get out. Communications on at all times, if you do not answer you will be assumed dead or in trouble. If you are in a situation where making a sound is impossible, put it on silent. If you are in trouble, just remember to turn it back on, that is very important or we won't know when to find you. Check in every ten minutes to be safe, if things are fine I'll make it less. Does everybody understand."

They all nodded. "Any questions?" They all shook their heads. "Then let's move. Out in five."


	3. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

Thankfully, as they made their way back out of the flat and building, the rain had stopped, leaving the air feeling fresh. They walked casually in a group, laughing and joking as normal so as not to attract attention. They went into the main square and stopped at the corner. The science building was behind them, and soon, Trowa, Heero and Wufei said their "good-byes" and sauntered off into the alley. Duo gave Trowa a meaningful look and prayed to the God he had rejected that Heero would be ok and that what they feared was wrong. Heero's behaviour had already proved him wrong, he knew that, but was still determined. Finally, he and Quatre made their way over to the other side of the science building and slipped into the alleyway beside it. They walked along the side until they saw a side door. Duo flung an arm out and pulled Quatre into the shadows.

"Guard?"

"Camera."

"Where?"

"Over the door."

"How are we going to get in?"

"Let me think…" Duo frowned as he thought, and then peeped round the corner again, just to make sure. Then he turned back to Quatre. "Right," he said. "I'm going to move the camera's angle so that you can get into the door. Once you're inside, I'll slip in, too."

"Be careful!" Quatre whispered, and Duo grinned at the blonde boy before taking something out of his pockets. There were four of them in the bag, and he tipped them out into his hands, pocketing the bag again. He walked up to the wall so that he was just out of the camera's range. He stripped off the back, which was a piece of thin paper and then flicked a switch. The thing started whirring, but so quietly he could hardly hear it. He stuck it on his boot and stuck his boot to the wall. It stuck fast. He sat on the floor, and did the other one, sticking his boot to the wall. He took the other two, which had finger holes and threaded them on to his two middle fingers. He flicked the switches on both of them, and then pushed off with his feet. His hands landed straight above them and he felt the suction take his weight. He waited for a few seconds to get his bearings and then started crawling. He was hunched up like a spider because the suction pads were on the bottom of his feet and he crawled expertly over to above the camera. He had been watching it the whole time and took one hand out of the suction pad, leaving it on the wall. The camera started moving to the other side and his hand guided it there, and then suddenly held it. Quatre darted out from the wall and sped into the door. Before the camera could spin back round, Duo had picked up the left suction pad and flipped inside with just enough time for the door to slam. 

He quickly turned the pads off and pocketed them all. Quatre gave him the thumbs up and then they started creeping along the tunnel. It was pristine white and lit by lamps in the floor, giving them a scary kind of look. Duo leered at Quatre; a scary face on and Quatre grinned before letting him lead. They then came to a T-junction. Duo looked at Quatre, who shrugged, and then took the right turn, further into the building. They went along the corridor for about two minutes before they came to a wider bit with some stairs. They heard voices and footsteps coming from above them. Duo swore in a whisper and grabbed Quatre by the collar. He sprinted over to under the stairs and they crouched there, holding their breath.

**************

Trowa, Wufei and Heero crouched in the alcove. The guard wasn't really paying that much attention, but he was standing right in front of where they wanted to go. 

"Is there a camera?" Trowa asked. Heero looked round and shook his head. Trowa nodded, Heero had become a lot better since they had actually been on a job. "Right." He said, and raised his eyes at Wufei. The Chinese boy dug around in his pockets and came out with something that looked like a tiny sweet. He turned and threw it over near the entrance to the alley. As it hit the floor it burst and made a noise like a small handgun. They watched as the guard jumped and then ran over to see what was wrong. The three sprinted out from the alcove, almost silently, and Wufei threw another as all three of them piled into the entrance, making sure the door was closed quickly and quietly.

They waited, holding their breath as they listened to the guard walk back to the door, but he did nothing. They were in. Trowa beckoned to the other two and started leading the way, but soon found Heero overtaking him. He didn't mind; this place gave him the creeps. They sped through the corridors and passed junctions. Heero would hesitate for a few seconds but at a nod he would carry on. They had just passed a T-junction when he stopped. Trowa nearly bumped into him.

"What?" he whispered. Heero just pointed at the wall. Trowa couldn't see anything to begin with, but then he saw the tiniest outlines of a door. How Heero had seen that at the pace they had been going he wasn't sure, but this was their biggest lead.

"So how do we get in?" Wufei asked. Heero went to go forward, but Trowa pushed him aside. He took out a tiny knife he had in his boot, and then proceeded to trace the outline. About halfway down the left-hand side, he came to a blockage. He took out another identical knife, and prodded around that area. With a click, a flap of the door came away as a flap, showing a keyhole. With that hand, not taking the other away, he performed the simple task of picking a lock, and the door swung open to reveal another corridor. They crept inside, shutting the door behind them, and crept slowly down the passage.

The passage was the same as all the others and sloped gently downwards. Trowa began to feel more and more claustrophobic as he followed Heero down and down. If they were found out, it was a hell of a long way to run. They began to hear noises and saw a door in front of them. When they got to it, they heard voices coming towards them. Trowa nodded to the others, and they all swiped out some pads and then leapt onto the wall. Hanging from the ceiling, they watched as two guards came out of the door, arguing about something, they didn't know what. As the door closed, Wufei, who was closest, took out a piece of wire and stuck it on the closing door. As it closed, it was jarred, and the door stayed open.

Heero flipped down almost silently onto the ground as the two guards disappeared up the tunnel. Wufei crept up closer to the door, and slowly prised it open a bit so that Heero could peek through it. He nodded, taking off his pads and pocketing them. Trowa and Wufei flipped down as well, and then Trowa put a hand on Wufei's arm. He pulled a long, thin black piece of plastic from a tiny sphere in his ear.

"This is 03 to 02. Do you read me?" he whispered. There was a slight crackle.

"This is 02, read you loud and clear." Came Duo's voice into his and the others' ears.

"Everything alright?" Trowa asked.

"Great."

"Found anything?"

"No. You?"

"We're in a hidden passage, but that's all we have." Trowa answered.

"Great. You're all alive?" Duo asked.

"Of course."

"Cool. Heero?" Duo asked. Heero pulled his microphone down.

"Maxwell?"

"Don't call me that! Anyway, no blowing anything up, you hear?" Duo said, and they could tell there was a wide grin on his face. Trowa noticed the sudden and subtle light in Heero's now pale face.

"Never even thought about it." He answered, and then folded it up.

"See you in ten." Trowa said.

"Right. Over and out." Duo replied, and then Trowa put his microphone up.

"Better turn it to silent." He said, and he and the others flicked a tiny switch, the light in Heero's face gone again.

"Ready?" Wufei asked, and Heero and Trowa nodded.

"We wont' be seen?" Trowa asked Heero.

"Just another corridor." Heero said and he nodded.

"Let's go." He said, and they opened the door, Wufei grabbing his wire before they closed it silently behind them.

**************

Duo and Quatre crept out from under the stairs as they finished the conversation with Trowa and the others. Thank fully, the men who had been coming down had left already, otherwise they would have heard the small beeping of their COM units. Duo beckoned to Quatre and then crept up the stairs, checking up as he knew Quatre was checking down. They crept up the curve and then up to another corridor with a few doors in it. There were some more voices, and Duo spun round. People were now coming along the corridor and all the doors had lights in them, except for one. He grabbed Quatre again and they ran into this one, closing the door behind them and flattening themselves against the wall either side of it.

Duo's stomach disappeared as the door opened and the two men came in. They walked in, flicking a switch on one of the tables. Duo snatched at the door as it went past him and Quatre and he slipped out before it closed, hoping the men didn't notice it taking longer to close than it usually did.

They turned right; back the way they had come when they had been downstairs and dashed past all of the doors as they were all lit. With a sickening pit of horror suddenly appearing in his stomach, Duo saw the door right in front of them open and somebody come out. He and Quatre dashed to behind the door, and flattened themselves against the wall again. Thankfully, and extremely luckily for them, the woman turned the other way, and the door closed as she disappeared round a corner.

Slowly, his heart beating like a drum, Duo got up, and held out a hand to Quatre. Quatre's baby blue eyes were wide in fear and Duo gave him an encouraging grin and rolling of eyes before they carried on. He kept Quatre's hand in his, feeling the boy trembling, until they rounded the corner. Here, there was another door, a wooden one, but no light was coming from underneath it. Duo raised his eyebrows at Quatre, who nodded, and he slowly pushed it open. It was almost pitch black in there, and he dashed into the darkness, pulling Quatre with him and closing the door before anybody saw them. 

He felt about by the door and soon found a switch. He flicked it, and the room was illuminated.

"Jackpot." He whispered and grinned at Quatre, who smiled weakly back.

They were in a room that was only a little bigger than a broom cupboard. Every part of the four small walls was covered in computer equipment. There were seas of flashing red and green lights, and a loud humming of electrical equipment at work. The floor was a rough red carpet and in the middle of the room was a small desk with a monitor on it. A swivel chair faced it and the computer screen showed a desktop.

"I have never seen this much up-to-date technical equipment anywhere." Quatre breathed beside him. Duo smiled at him. 

"Well, get going. We don't have that long." Duo told him, and they walked over to the desk. Quatre sat in the chair.

"How much information do we want?" he said, taking a floppy disk out of his pocket and inserting it into the slot.

"As much as we can." Duo replied, leaning over him. Quatre clicked a few buttons and an error message came up. "Damn, we need a password." Duo cursed.

"Let's see if I can hack it. I'm not as good as Heero but I'm not bad." Quatre said. Duo waited impatiently as he tried to figure out the password and then try to bypass the system. He had no patience with computers. They always went wrong and took up too much time. He also had a problem with staying still for so long and started pacing. Heero could stay on his computer for hours. Duo's mind was thrown back to the subject. What was wrong with him? Duo hated to admit it, but he was a little hurt. He knew he shouldn't be because this was about Heero's issues, not him but it still hurt when he shut off like this. "Ah! Got it!" Quatre whispered and Duo came back to the screen. It came up with lists and lists of folders. Quatre typed a few buttons and the folders suddenly decreased in size. "Right, I've sort of shrunk them so they should fit on easier now."

"What do we have to do?" 

"Oh, just put them five at a time or which ever ones we want, the disk won't take the strain of all of them." Quatre said,

"Well, I can do that. Why don't you have a look at all this stuff? It's probably going to be the only time you get to see it?" Duo offered. Quatre looked up at him, beaming, and Duo pushed him off the seat and started copying the folders. "Remember to listen out as well." He said, and Quatre nodded.

Duo started to get bored and fidgety after the first twenty lots of five he had to put in. Then something caught his eye. It was a folder, but it was the name that brought warning lights flashing around his eyes. It was called "043". It was a familiar number, if only he could…Heero. His eyes widened as he realised the impossible coincidence. Heero had this number tattooed on the small of his back. He quickly downloaded it and then carried on, but his mind was a blur. He may be able to find out what had happened, why Heero was so out of it. He may be able to find a way to comfort him, and that was all he wanted to do right now.

He had just copied the last twenty, having just talked to the others and taken the disk out, when there was a knock on the door. He and Quatre looked at each other, the fear plain on their faces.

"Anyone in there?" came a female voice, and Duo's stomach froze as he realised what an impossible situation they were in.

"Yes." He replied, in the deepest voice he could. "I am working on the computer, it has some faults. Please do not disturb me." 

"Who is that?" the voice came again after a silence.

"Tha maintenance man, who else?" Duo asked, praying but quietly laughing as well. This was fun, if very tense.

"I was not informed on anybody coming or any faults." The woman said again, and the door started opening. Quick as a flash, Duo had shot up, and the woman had a massive boot in her face and a hand in her neck before she knew what was happening. She slumped to the floor, unconscious. 

"We have to go." Duo said as Quatre took the disk out.

"02 to 03, do you read me?" he asked into his microphone. There was a beep. "Shit! He's on silent!" he cried, and tried again. "02 to 05, do you read me?" Again there was a beep. "02 to 01 can you…"

"What?" came a whisper.

"Get out!" Duo whispered, "We had to knock a lady unconscious, they'll find us."

"Ok." Came the reply, and then he cut off.

"Oh, always the one for idle chit chat." Duo said, sarcastically, grinning at Quatre and then he looked round before sprinting out of the door, dragging the boy after him.


	4. Chapter 4

****

Chapter 4

Trowa watched as Heero turned his COM unit off.

"We have to go." He whispered, "They had to attack someone."

Trowa and Wufei nodded and they slipped back from the corner they were peeking behind. That had found a few people but no solid places or evidence that anything was going on. They only hoped that Duo and Quatre had had more success. They slipped back through the maze of tunnels that they had come through since they had gone through the door. After about ten minutes of following Heero this way and that, Trowa wondering how the hell he had remembered it all, they got back to the red door. Well, almost.

Heero had peeped round the corner and then shot back, placing a finger on his lips. "Guard" he mouthed. Trowa rolled his eyes. "How?" he mouthed. Heero looked like he was thinking, but then he shook his head. Trowa and Wufei stared at him. What was he doing? He closed his eyes and looked like he was meditating for a minute. Then, he grabbed Trowa's arm and started pulling him in the other direction.

"What the hell are you on, Yuy?" Wufei hissed from behind him.

"There has to be two entrances for safety. Logically, and we are dealing with scientists, there will be one at exactly the same place the other side. That's where we're going."

"How can you know where it is?" Trowa hissed.

"I have good bearings." Heero replied. Trowa shrugged at Wufei and then concentrated on keeping up with Heero. He was devilishly fast. They went this way and that, Heero's face always pointing forward like he was some sort of gun dog. Finally, he slammed his arm out and Trowa and Wufei had to skid to a halt to stop running into him. He put a finger to his lip and bent round the corner. He beckoned to them and they ran out and through an identical red door in the wall. Again there was the long passage up. They immediately started sprinting as fast as they could towards the top. If anybody opened either door, they would see them immediately, even if they were hanging from the ceiling.

Trowa's stomach jolted as the door almost in their grasp started opening. Quick as a flash, they whipped out the pads and leapt up. Trowa's leg hung in the air for a minute too long, and the man came through. Trowa tried not to scream with fear as the man dropped something. His foot was almost touching the guy's ear. He couldn't even twitch or the man would see him. The man picked the thing up and moved forward before standing up straight leaving the door to almost close thanks to Wufei's wire. They waited until he had gone all the way down before they moved, and Trowa sighed a huge sight of relief.

"That was too close." He whispered as they took off the pads, dropping to the floor as Wufei opened the door carefully. They sped through the corridors, Trowa knowing they had to be going in the opposite ways they had done to get into it because they were in the opposite side of the building, but Heero's bearings really were too good. Finally, they turned down a small corridor and saw the door. There was a small window in the top, and Trowa stopped at the same time as Heero did. There was a camera out there.

"How do we do this?" Wufei asked, aiming at Heero with a smug grin on his face. Heero glared at him before stopping a second. Then, he pressed the little black circle in his ear and the microphone came out.

"01 to 02, do you read?" he asked. There was a pause where the three could hear crackling in their ears.

"This is 02. What can I do you for, Superman?" Duo answered. Trowa noticed the softness in Heero's eyes before they became dead again and once again wondered what the hell was going on.

"Where are you?" Heero asked.

"Outside?"

"Are you still near the building?"

"Yes."

"Which door?"

"The one we came out of."

"That doesn't help me."

"The one with the camera."

"Can you divert it? We're just inside and can't get out."

"What about the other one?"

"Too risky going all the way through the building again, and anyway, there's a guard there that we've already disturbed."

"Got that. Ok. When I give the word you will have about seven seconds to get the hell out and get into the alcove where Quatre is. He'll signal you. Got that?"

"Got it. Give us the word."

"Will do."

Heero turned to Wufei and gave him a blank look. Wufei shrugged and they all stood by the door, tense and ready to spring.

"You guys ready?" the voice of Duo rang in their ears, and Trowa tensed even more. "Go!"

Heero flung the door open and the three dashed out. They saw Quatre waving frantically and dashed over there. They were easily there in seven seconds and waited in the alcove for Duo. As Trowa watched, he saw him clambering over the wall like a spider, well sort of. He put a hand on Heero's shoulder as the boy stiffened. One of Duo's hands was held protectively up to his chest, and it was the one Heero had accidentally damaged a few hours before.

"He tripped down the stairs." Quatre explained, "It was just jarred, but it's very painful for him, even though he won't admit it."

The tone of voice made the others either deflate or swear quietly. What Quatre was trying to get across was that Duo had to rest it, which meant no more missions for him for a few days.

"Hey guys. Find anything?" Duo asked, grinning as he came over, the arms now by his side, but not swinging like usual. He took one look at Heero's face and rounded on Quatre. "What did you say?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

"That you're not going on any missions for a few days." Quatre said, firmly. Duo opened his mouth to retaliate, but then seemed to stop and think about something.

"Ok." He said, casually, and then led the way out. Trowa frowned. That was not like Duo. He was always up for missions, even if he was more seriously injured than this and was only stopped after massive arguments. This was just a jarred wrist and he was easily being contained. He shook his head as he followed Heero out and they walked back to the flat.

*************

Duo winced a little as Quatre safety-pinned the bandage on his wrist together.

"Sorry, Duo. It's a little stiff."

"No problem." Duo replied with a grin. Quatre stood up from kneeling on the floor and sat back down on the sofa. It was night, and they had just gone to get food and eaten it, there was nothing edible in the kitchen. Heero was once again staring at the floor, and Duo looked worriedly at him.

"So," Trowa started. "I hop you two were more successful than us."

"We got the disk with all the folders we could find." Quatre told him.

"Great! Were any maps of the place?"

"Not that I could see." Duo said, "I mean, most of them just looked like experiments and documents about the running of the business."

"Well, we're not getting anywhere until we have a map of the place so we can at least know where we are."

"Well, why don't we all go out and go to the council, hack them off there. There have to be maps of a building there, it's the law." Duo suggested.

"You cannot hack off the capitals board!" Quatre said, aghast.

"I may not be able to, but I bet he could." Duo answered, nodding at Heero, who looked up.

"I've done it before." He said, darkly.

"Don't tell us, man." Duo said immediately and Trowa smiled.

"Great. So Heero can hack in while we can try and find the documents in the library. There may be some creeping around to do, though."

"Oh, well, we…"

"No. Not you." Quatre said. Duo shrugged.

"Oh yeah. Fine. "You" can deal with that, can't you?"

"Why are you being so complacent?" Wufei asked, suspiciously. Duo put his innocent face on.

"What do you mean?" he asked praying he could get off the conversation. He didn't want to believe Heero could read minds but it felt like it sometimes, and he was also disgusted at being so reluctant to go behind his back. But that folder with "043" on the label kept popping up in his mind and he was almost bursting to try and find out what it was about now.

"Well, you're always struggling and having a tantrum when we try to keep you behind usually. Now you're all fine about it."

"Maybe I've grown more mature." Duo said, and grinned at the laughs. "Ok, so maybe I'm not. No, I just don't mind really. It's not a job I'm particularly interested in, and anyway, someone's got to go through those folders."

There, he'd said it. Now was the time that Heero would start to suspect something, if what Duo thought was right, which it was almost certain it was. All was silent for a minute as this information processed and Duo tried to stop his heart beating so fast. He knew Heero was looking at him and panicked a little. If he deliberately looked away then Heero would suspect something, but looking straight at him would imply that Duo was trying to get some sort of point across. He settled for looking over at him and trying to look surprised at being watched. Heero gave him a searching look, and Duo put up all the barriers he could whilst shaking inside. He absolutely hated this, it was like Heero was a stranger; an enemy and he didn't want that. He wanted Heero to talk to him again. Despite the constant company of the other pilots he was beginning to feel very lonely.

After a few shrugs, the other seemed to agree. Then, Quatre yawned sweetly, and Trowa smiled, putting his arms around him.

"I think we should all get to bed." He said. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah, well don't make it any longer. For you two or the rest of us." Duo said, giving the two a pointed look. Quatre cried out in indignation and threw a cushion at him. Duo laughed at them, deflecting it and wincing as he did it with the wrong hand. "I have got to stop doing that." He said, rubbing it a bit. He saw a tanned hand take it from him, as gentle as a breeze but as firm as a rock. "Oh no." Duo said, taking it away from him. "No more re-setting, I've had enough pain for one day."

Heero's eyes suddenly flared and Duo gasped before they went dead again. Then, Heero glared at him and got up.

"What was that all about?" Trowa asked him, but Duo couldn't reply. Heero had looked so betrayed by him. Duo assumed it must have been the fact that Duo didn't trust his touch anymore.

"He must be tired, as I am. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Duo said, frowning and getting up. He went into the bedroom and his stomach jolted a little as he saw a flash of Heero's smooth back before his loose T-shirt covered it. "Heero?" he said, coming towards him. Heero started but carried on getting into the double bed. "Heero." Duo repeated and put a hand on the boys' shoulder. He stopped. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

"You don't trust me?" Heero asked.

"Well, you did kind of take me by surprise that time. But I didn't mean it in a bad way."

"Goodnight, Duo."

"No! Heero, what's wrong with you?" Duo cried as the boy slipped between the sheets.

"Leave me alone."

Duo just stood there, his mouth open from speaking, his chest hurting. Heero turned onto his side and Duo stared at the shock of dark brown hair. He was hurt. He hated to admit it, but he was actually hurt. His chest stung and he could feel his eyes widening. Heero had never done that before, ever. Called him a baka, whatever that was, hit him on occasion, but never just dismissed him like he was nothing.

"Bastard." He whispered under his breath, putting all his emotion into that one word so that he calm when he entered the bathroom. Confused, but calm. He was too busy being bewildered to notice Heero flinching massively as he heard it.

Duo brushed his teeth, changed into black sweat pants and redid his hair. He didn't have time to do it in the mornings so he kept it up at night. He then walked back into the bedroom and walked around to the other side of the bed, trying to ignore Heero turning back over so that he didn't have to see him. He clambered in between the heavy damp sheets and closed his eyes. He was never going to get to sleep, he knew that. He was fidgety and he just wanted to hit Heero so much he nearly did, but he valued his life more than that. The thing was that he didn't trust Heero's body. When he was that gentle, it started something inside Duo that made him suddenly want to get away from him. Not because he was scared of what Heero would do to him anyway but what he would ask Heero to do to him, what he would let Heero do. That is if Heero would and he doubted that. He just wanted…his stomach ached for the touch and relative warmth from the Wing pilot. What the hell had he done to him? Duo had never cared this much about what anybody thought of him. Strangely enough, before long, he had drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

**************

He was woken by a yell from beside him. He opened his eyes blearily and felt something hit him in the stomach. He was awake instantly and looked over to see Heero thrashing around, fear on his sleeping face, his hands clutching at the bedclothes. He was…Duo knew it couldn't be right, but he was whimpering. He was pleading with someone, saying "no" over and over again. It was so wrong, so unexpected of Heero that for a moment Duo didn't know what to do. Then he seemed to come back to life. Half his mind told him to leave it, but the other half, and he told himself that it was the sleepy half wanting peace, told him otherwise. 

He tentatively turned over and placed his left hand, the good one, on Heero's chest. The boy jumped, but then was still, stiff as a board. Duo slipped it round his body and was surprised to find the Wing pilot suddenly coming closer and curling up into his chest. Duo, startled for a minute, suddenly realised what was happening and instantly forgot it in case he did anything stupid. He placed his arms totally around the now peaceful boy and laid his head on the shock of dark chocolate hair. He closed his eyes, suddenly calm and totally contented, sleeping with Heero in his arms. Once again he instantly forgot the thought. He was scared about how good that made him feel.


	5. Chapter 5

****

WARNING pretty serious Heero torture coming up!! Don't say I didn't warn you!

****

Chapter 5

Duo woke abruptly. This was because Heero had just pushed away from him so hard he had fallen off the bed.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he rubbed his head. He looked up and froze. Heero was standing the other side of the bed, his eyes blazing at him. Duo set his eyes against Heero's with difficulty. He knew what Heero had woken to find himself doing, and there was nothing wrong with it. For all Heero knew, they had come together like that whilst sleeping. Even if they hadn't, what Duo had done wasn't wrong or anything, what was he supposed to do, leave him there? Be kept awake all night? No, he had a perfectly good reason to be found holding the boy.

Duo's fears of Heero challenging him verbally over it were soon soothed as he walked away. I should have known, he told himself, Heero doesn't do verbal. He got up and got dressed. He walked passed Heero without looking at him before going into the bathroom and redoing his hair and brushing his teeth and all that. He came out in his priest uniform and found Trowa sitting on the sofa with Quatre busy at the kitchen. They were all dressed as they were before, no need to change. Soon, they had all gathered and were sitting with cups of coffee, bought by Quatre the day before, in their hands.

Duo sipped his silently, not wishing to speak quite yet. The urge to find out what the hell was going on with Heero had just got more urgent. He hated himself for the weakness of it all, but he wanted to know that something was wrong with Heero, because he couldn't bear the thought of Heero doing that to him in a usual mood. He fought the urge to keep looking at him to check if he looked like he was going through the same as Duo was and so ended up glaring at the floor.

"Duo, look out, you're turning into Heero." Trowa stated and Duo looked up, his eyes switching from a glare to a grin.

"What do you mean?" he asked, innocently.

"You were doing the "glaring at the floor so hard it burns up" routine."

"Oh, well it wasn't intentional." Duo said, shrugging and grinning.

"What's wrong?" Quatre asked, his solemn face making Duo laugh, although he'd rather cry at the point.

"Nothing's wrong! Maybe I just don't like being woken up at eight in the morning."

"Eight in the morning is nothing." Wufei said, "I had to get up at five every morning."

"Well I didn't, ok? I got no sleep at all so I have to catch up." Duo said, his face telling everybody that he was not to be argued with. There were a few chuckles and then silence as everybody sipped their drinks again.

"When are we off today?" Quatre asked after a while.

"Well, we're going to need time so basically as soon as the coffee is drunk and everyone's ready. Is that ok, Heero?" Trowa asked. Heero nodded but kept on staring at the floor. Trowa looked at Duo and cupped his hands over his mouth so only Duo could see his lips. He mouthed "How did he sleep?" and Duo just rolled his eyes and shook his head, frowning. "Are you ok?" was next. Duo shrugged and looked away. The last thing he wanted was Trowa asking him awkward questions. No, the worst thing would be Quatre asking him awkward questions and he hoped Trowa wouldn't share his inevitable worries with his lover.

There was another five minutes of relative silence between them, and then Trowa announced that they were going. Duo let them all get their stuff and then met them at the door.

"Now, are you going to look at the files?" Quatre asked. Duo nodded. "If anything has a password, leave it and either I or Heero will deal with it when we get back."

"Sure, I'll do that." Duo said. "Good luck!" he called and Trowa waved at him as they disappeared. Duo waited until he had heard the door close and then he went over to Trowa and Quatre's bedroom. He took the laptop out of Quatre's bag and set it up on the coffee table in front of the sofa. After getting the disk from his room, he sat down, drawing the computer up to him and turned it on. It beeped and for once he wasn't impatient as it loaded. As soon as it was on the desktop he inserted the disk in the slot and double clicked on the disk icon. A load of folders came up onto his screen. 

He scrolled down for a while and then found it. The folder saying 043. Heart thumping and eyes wide, he clicked on it. The screen went black and a grey box came up with a flashing cursor on some dots. The type above it said, "Please enter password." Duo swore, but then thought for a second. His tongue sticking out in concentration and anticipation, he typed in "H-e-e-r-o- -Y-u-y" Then he pressed Enter. The grey box disappeared and a green box came into its place. Duo sighed with relief. It said, "Password accepted. Loading data."

After a few minutes, Duo was getting slightly worried, but then he was rewarded. The screen went white, and a whole lot of icons came up. They all had complicated coded names and varied. Some had "ABC" written them, some had a square and triangle and a circle on them and some of them had a videotape. One of them, the last one was called "Slideshow."

His breathing slightly ragged, Duo double clicked on that one. The cursor disappeared and the screen went blank. Then, small writing started typing itself over the screen. This is what it said:

This is a collection of all of the known files on subject 043. On this slideshow you will find every single record, picture and any footage that is wanted of the subject and its progress over the years. Any written work will be either spoken by the head scientist or displayed in other ways. Rest assured that it is all here for your interest.

First, some background on 043. It has been with us for thirteen years and all experiments have proved very successful, if in more ways than anticipated. The head of the experiment is Doctor J and his team of three other scientists. All the footage of 043 is in chronological order and Doctor J himself shall guide you through this mine of information……………………………………………

Duo gulped and the computer screen suddenly showed a man standing in front of a deep blue, swirling screen. He looked very well built but short. He had thick hair that waved down his back and was slowly going grey. It had been brown. He had the same colour moustache and goatee beard. He wore dark glasses that reflected in lots of different colours and was dressed in a white lab coat done up to his neck, the first button undone, showing very tanned but ageing skin.

_"Welcome to the information package on Subject 043, our most successful and most interesting and ongoing subject. First of all we shall show the results and pictures we have from when we had taken him from his mother's womb by operation. She was discarded of, as was his father, as they proved no more use to us. The baby was taken at three weeks premature to make sure we could put our stamp on it. It turned out to be a boy, as we wanted and expected, and, for formality only, we named him Heero Yuy."_

Duo actually let out a crack. This was it, this was him. Heero was subject 043. He was already reeling from the information he had just got. He had been bred and taken from his mother by force. He had only been doing this for a few seconds and he was appalled already. The screen went pale blue and blank, before a picture emerged. It was of a baby, small, pale and wrinkled, obviously too small. Its eyes were tightly shut and there was an oxygen mask over its nose and mouth. It was naked and floating in a large vertical tube of greenish water that was bubbling. 

That disappeared and a moving picture came up. It was of the same baby, but it looked a few weeks older. It was motionless apart from the odd twitch. Its eyes were now open and there was no mistaking the deep blue eyes that were Heero's and only Heero's. They were wide open, obviously used to the water now. The picture had come back a bit so that Duo could see the top and bottom of the tube, which were metal and had all sorts of buttons on it. Some typing appeared next to the square box that the baby was in, which temporarily froze.

A large amount of substance A was inserted into the subject's blood system. This substance, which will be kept anonymous, supposedly enables the subject to store extra amounts of oxygen in its lungs. For this experiment we will stop the oxygen supply for ten seconds and monitor the baby's heart rate and oxygen count. To do this, an electronic heart monitor must be attached to the subject's chest and two oxygen monitors must be inserted into the lungs.

Duo had only just stopped reading this when the square faded, the typing all but shrank and a number of photos came up. The first one he could deal with. The baby was lying on a white table, still naked, and what looked like a sticker attached to a cord was on its chest. The baby's mouth was open in what must have been a small wail. The next few photos, Duo's breath got faster and faster, as did his heart rate, and then he grabbed the nearest bin and retched just after he had shouted so loud the others would have heard him.

The consecutive nine photos were taken at different stages of an operation. This operation was to carefully insert two wires on the end of long probes into the baby's lungs. That in itself was awful, two such huge things in such a small body, but that wasn't what Duo was retching about. He could deal with that. The thing he was screaming and throwing up at was the absence of an anaesthetic mask over the baby's face and the wide mouth of a full on scream of agony that the baby was so obviously in. They had done it without any anaesthetic. To a baby. His eyes widened and he cried out, tears trying to get out of his eyes. To Heero.

Finally, the photos faded and another square came up. In it was the baby again, its voice just audible and its mouth slightly open in a small wail inside the mask. Now, two ugly probes came out of its perfectly stitched up chest and there was a heart monitor on its chest. Duo felt like shouting at the screen to not do it, his mind totally incapable to get the fact that it had happened already. This couldn't have happened, not to Heero. He cried out as the oxygen was turned off and the baby's wail turned to a yell and then was cut short as he tried to breathe in. Duo was biting the inside of his mouth so hard he could taste blood as they did it again and again, for longer each time, until a red light started flashing and they gave it back. The baby Heero started yelling and Duo wished he could hold him. Little did he know that this was not the worst.

Over the next hour, Duo witnessed seventeen main experiments over thirteen years. Some were not all bad, some were awful, but he found that it got worse for him, because the child got older and started using words to plead with the doctors not to do what they did. Also, he looked more like the Heero he knew. Duo found himself constantly throwing up and constantly had tears streaming down his face. He hadn't cried so much for years. But it was the last one that was worst. He had just seen a twelve-year-old Heero being raped by two big men to test his physical endurance, which was bullshit in his opinion, and then the screen went black and the white typing started again.

The last experiment in this show and the latest one to date is when a substance Y was inserted into subject 043's bloodstream. It should affect his healing ability. In the perfect situation, we wanted this to make 043 nearly indestructible. After this experiment, which was successful, as you will see, enough of this substance was inserted so that 043's healing power will be abnormal but not too extraordinary, as there were side effects. This was performed when 043 was thirteen.

Duo watched as the screen came back on and almost cried out. It showed a metal rectangle. Arms shackled above his hand and ankles shackled to the bottom, was Heero. He was naked and his hair was as floppy as it always was. His eyes were dead, but as there was a bang, he jerked his head up and his eyes widened with terror. 

"What…?" he asked, his voice cracked. There was a low chuckle.

"Healing powers boy. We're going to see how much your body can take." Came a gruff, accented voice, the voice of the doctor. Soon, he came into view, flanked by his other three. Duo's eyes widened as he saw that they all had evil looking knives in their hands. 

"No…you can't…please…stop…God! Please!" Heero yelled, his voice raw, trying to get out, but to no avail. The three doctors that weren't J grabbed him and held him even stiller than he was already. He kept on crying out for them to stop, but his cries became a wordless scream of pain as J dragged his serrated knife over his chest, creating a deep cut. Duo stared as the cut healed instantly. The doctor's cried out in delight and, to Duo's horror, started making cuts all over him that would heal in seconds, but would hurt like hell. Finally, laughing almost maniacally, J held Heero by the shoulder and then thrust his knife deep into the boy's stomach. Heero raw yell of anguish was joined by Duo's horrified cry. Chuckling, all the doctor's did the same all over his body, thrusting their knives and pulling them back , the serrated edges doing even more damage on the way out. Heero was yelling and whimpering and tears were streaming down his face, is mouth in a permanent scream.

"Check the bones!" the doctor cried. Like excited schoolchildren, they all crowded round Heero's left arm, un-shackling it. J took it in both hands and started pushing down. Heero's small whimper of pain became more and more of a scream as the pressure increased and Duo found himself trying to throw up again as it snapped at the elbow with a sickening crack. Within seconds, the broken bone had fused back to together again. The doctor's cried out in delight, shackling it back up. They then went around the whole of the body, breaking any parts of him they could and sticking their knives in his joints to prise them open, all the wounds healing within ten seconds of them being made. Heero's scream was endless, permanent and digging into Duo's brain. They couldn't…no.

"Come on, boys!" one of the doctors cried, and three big men came to him. First they beat him up, badly, most of the kicks and punches usually taking a person out, if not killing them. Then, they gave way to some very tall, thin and delicate men who had evil looking utensils that Duo knew as being the dreaded art of Kyna Keor, the torturing system that inflicted the most and most painful damage possible, while keeping the victim alive for the longest time of any. Before the guys had been doing it for five minutes straight, Duo found himself. He slammed his fingers onto the on/off switch and the screen went blank, but the images were still there. Tears streaming down his face and his breath coming in sobs, he ran to the bathroom and spent twenty minutes throwing up solidly.

After that he slumped against the bath, in almost total denial of what he had just seen. He wanted Heero, he needed Heero. He needed him like he had done when he had been stuck in Deathscythe, but he didn't want the new, hurt Heero, he wanted his Heero. No wonder he had been shit scared. Look at what the doctors had done to him! Shakily, he stood up and brushed his teeth, drinking some of the foul tasting water. He went and slumped on the sofa, staring at the blank computer screen. Trembling, he placed his head in his hands.

He was so busy trying not to throw up again, that he didn't hear the thumping of footsteps on the stairs and only spun round when the other four burst into the room, slamming the door.

"They…" Trowa started, but trailed off as Duo found all four pilots staring at him. Duo frowned, and then turned to look on the now reflecting computer screen. He was deathly white and tear streaks were down his face. He turned back, and his eyes were caught by Heero's. Duo looked into the blank blue eyes and the images all came hurling back up again. He dashed out of the room and threw up again, sobs cracking out of his body as he closed his eyes and wished for Heero's arms to be holding him. He slumped against the bath again, breathing hard, cracks coming out of him. He sensed someone in the room.

"Duo?" It was Quatre. Duo opened his eyes and took the water Quatre was offering him. "Duo, what is it?" he asked. He looked really worried. He would be, Duo thought to himself, but couldn't bring himself to say anything. He tried a few times, but all that came out was, "043." In a cracked voice. Quatre frowned.

"I'll get you some more water." He said, as Duo drained the last one. He took the glass and began to go to the door, but was cut off as someone jumped up. The two boys peered out into the lounge as Heero ran to the flat entrance and flung it open.

"Heero!" Duo yelled as something came out and hit him on the back of the neck. The Wing pilot crumpled to the floor and three big men came in, all holding machine guns pointing at Wufei and Trowa. Duo jumped up, pushing Quatre back into the bathroom and shutting the door. The men spun round to him and Duo found himself eye to eye with the barrel of a machine gun.

"Don't even think about it." The man said, gruffly. Duo cast an eye down to Heero. His pleading eyes met the man's, but they were passive. "He'll be alright, I didn't hit him hard and anyway, from what the boss says it'll take more than that to kill him. You two, hands above your heads, and you, choirboy."

One of the men roughly picked the unconscious pilot up and flung him over his shoulder. Wufei, Trowa and Duo were clumped together.

"I swear there were four of them last time without him." one of the men said.

"Does it look like there are any others?" the main man asked. "Go search the flat of you like."

The other man shrugged, they obviously really couldn't be bothered to be doing this and were insulted by having to capture four boys. Duo glared at them, his heart beating fast though he knew Heero was all right. But will he be, he thought as they were sent down the stairs, when he wakes up to find himself back in his memories?


	6. Chapter 6

****

Chapter 6

"Duo."

"I know." Duo replied and Trowa nodded at the boy next to him. They were all shackled by the wrists and ankles to the walls of a large cell. Up until now, the last in the line, Heero, had been limp, his head flopping down onto his chest. But now he was stirring, moaning a little, his head coming up. Duo watched as his brain registered what had happened and he tensed. He found himself wishing with all his heart he could stop Heero's eyes from opening, take him away, but he couldn't. The blue eyes opened and widened, the fear plainly in them. He started shaking his head jerkily.

"No…" he murmured, "No…no." he started thrashing, his breath coming out in small shrieks of effort.

"Heero!" Duo cried. He was thrashing around so hard he was going to hurt himself. "Heero, stop, you're gonna hurt yourself, please!"

"No…I can't…" Heero moaned and Duo thought his heart would break. 

"Heero, please. Stretch over to me, I can reach you." Duo pleaded his voice desperate. Heero, breathing hard, calmed a little and stretched out with his right hand. Duo stretched out with his left and the top halves of their fingers touched. Duo gripped as much as he could onto the hand that was shaking uncontrollably. Heero's eyes had closed and his head was back on his chest, but his too-fast breathing gave away that he was awake. Duo wanted to die. Here was Heero, dealing with waking up into his nightmare. He didn't even want to think about how it must be to not be able to wake up from the nightmares that haunted you every night.

"Duo…what are we doing here?" Heero managed to ask, his voice so strained it was almost cracked.

"I don't know yet, they said someone will be coming to tell us."

"And here they come." Wufei said, who was at the end of the row. Duo looked towards the open door, and saw Heero do the same out of the corner of his eye.

There were a number of reactions when the man came through the door and into view. Trowa and Wufei were still and silent, Heero's eyes widened even more before he stamped on the perfect soldier face and looked firmly down at the ground, his grip tightening on Duo's hand unintentionally as he tried to stop himself shaking. Duo, first seeing the man then Heero's reaction, started yelling.

"You fucking bastard!" he shouted, "How the hell can you do this?! You pervert, you sick, evil-minded fucking pervert who the hell do you think you are…!!"

"Please, please." The man said. "That is not the kind of introduction I was expecting."

"Duo, who is this guy?" Wufei asked. Duo felt like his stomach had become a lead weight and his eyes burned as he glared at the man grinning smugly at him.

"My name is Doctor J." he said, calmly to Trowa and Wufei. "I wonder. I take it you were the one who copied our files off the central computer."

Duo simply glared.

"You sick…unimaginable…barbaric…"

"Please, let us not get carried away." J said, interrupting Duo's hissed insults. "I would quite like to know what made you think this way. What did you find on this computer? Which subject did you see? What were you trying to find?"

At this last question, Duo looked up, frowning and met the doctor's shaded eyes, which held him all the same. How could he know? "Well," the doctor said as Duo won the staring competition, "I suppose it is quite obvious. You could only know the password to one of them, couldn't you? Tell, me, does the number 043 sound familiar to you."

The casual tone of voice that the doctor used fired Duo up so much he thought he would burn and he strained so far out of his bonds that they dug into his wrists.

"You self-satisfied…cruel…evil…bastard!" he yelled, and then looked over at Heero and nearly cried out when Heero's head suddenly switched from looking at him to looking away. Duo's flame sparked back up again as he heard the doctor laugh.

"I take it that was the right one." He chuckled. Suddenly, his face went serious, and he strode over to Heero. Making Duo stiffen, he raised Heero's head with his finger, and Heero stared, dead-eyed into the doctor's shades. Duo could have died of pride. "Welcome home, 043." He muttered, "It is good to have you back. Boys!" he yelled, and the men from before came in. "Take him to a cell."

"Heero!" Duo yelled as they came to take him away. Heero glanced at him, the pain in his eyes almost too much for the Deathscythe pilot. "Heero!" he cried again, fighting the lump in his throat. He saw Heero shake his head as he was led away and then turned his now burning gaze back to the doctor.

"You…"

"Shut up." The doctor said. It was unexpected that Duo was startled for a minute. "He will not be harmed…yet anyway."

"What did you do in the first place?" Trowa asked, the suspicion heavy in his voice. The doctor simply smiled.

"Why are we worried about him, I am not concerned with him at this precise moment. Now, I hear that all of are Gundam pilots."

"Ya what?" Duo asked. The doctor smiled no laughter in his face.

"Do not lie to me I have this information personally and very securely known. You are pilots 2 to 5, or should be. I take it 01 is 043, but what about…"

"Don't" Duo yelled suddenly. The doctor looked at him. "Don't mention him." Duo said, the pain suddenly appearing in his voice. The doctor looked confused. 

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"We haven't got another pilot yet." Trowa said, his voice a breathless whisper, and Duo would have smiled in joy at teamwork if he weren't so worried about Heero. He hated being separate from him; it made him feel insecure.

"Ah, I see." The doctor said, "I am sorry for your loss."

"Yeah right!" Duo cried, sarcastically.

"Do not play with me boy you have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Oh I could say so many things right now."

"Well refrain from doing so. Now, what I want to do is work out what makes you three boys so special. I know what makes 043…"

"His name is Heero." Duo hissed through gritted teeth, the doctor ignored him.

"…We know what makes 043 so special because we put it there…"

"You would have done jack if it wasn't for him."

"So what we want to know now is what natural talent is needed to be a pilot of those frightful machines."

"They're not frightful."

"Stop interrupting me!" the doctor cried and dealt Duo a wicked punch in the stomach, making Wufei and Trowa cry out in rage.

"Leave it!" Duo yelled, his stomach feeling totally blown out into space. "I'm alright." He didn't feel it, he felt like his breath had all gone, but his anger kept his head high.

"You will be tested for a number of different things." The doctor said, calmer. "You have no choice in this. Men! I want them all in cells. Give 043 and the braided one a cell, and then another for the other two."

The men came back in again and Duo suddenly felt a touch on his hand as he glared at them. He turned to Trowa.

"Don't." he breathed, "It won't do you or Heero any good."

Duo reluctantly agreed and relaxed his muscles. Two men came to his and unshackled him, taking him roughly by the arms and flinging him out. He nearly fell to the ground as his stomach complained, but got back up again, walking a little in front of them and very aware of the barrels pointing at his head.

**************

They had walked for about five minutes when they reached the cells. It was a white corridor with cells on each side. The were alternate, as in, the right hand went cell, cell sized space, cell etc while the left hand wall wen cell sized space, cell, cell sized space etc. They were taken all the way to the end, which was a red door. Trowa and Wufei were thrown in the right hand cell and Duo was taken into the cell nearest the door. It was middle sized and white, white everything. It had three solid walls and then the wall into the corridor was made up by thick metal bars, about three and a half inches apart. The barred door was flung open and Duo found himself thrown in. He took one glance around the room and felt his stomach disappear, thankfully. 

Heero was sat in a corner, his legs hugged tightly to him by his arms, his head resting on hi s knees. His eyes were obviously trying so hard to be dead he now looked like he was trying to burn away the metal bars and Duo could see his body totally tensed to stop shaking. Some of his tank top had come out of his shorts and trailed on the floor behind him. Duo, sitting sideways on the ground, bit his lip.

"Heero?" he asked, quietly, the silence almost killing him. Heero shuddered at his voice. Heero?"

There was no movement from him. Duo, nerves attacking him from every corner now, slowly went up on to hands and knees and started crawling up to him. He reached his side and sat sideways, his back almost touching the back wall. "Heero?" again no response. Timidly, Duo raised a hand and put it on Heero's knees. Heero jerked violently, making Duo jump almost out of his skin and then tried to back against the side wall.

"Get away from me!" he breathed, now still.

"Why?" Duo asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"You don't want to be near me." 

"What the hell do you mean?"

"You saw…you saw everything?"

"Yes, I did…"

"Then you don't want to be near me."

"Why not?"

There was no answer; Heero was just staring at the floor. Duo went to touch him again, not caring about the response now just as long as there was one, but Heero jerked his head to stare defiantly into Duo's eyes. He failed and looked down. "Heero, why?" Duo asked, realising his voice sounded more desperate than he wanted it to.

"I…I'm nothing." Heero breathed, and Duo prayed he hadn't just heard his voice crack. Heero's whole being was strained. "I'm not real, I'm a fake, a fraud. I'm…I'm a monster."

Duo froze. He was shaken. Here was Heero, Heero no less, and he was…

"Heero, no." was all Duo could manage. Heero seemed so lost, so totally lost that it was hard to believe that he was now the stable one.

"I am. I was bred and was a freak by the time I could breathe." Heero said, and his eyes hid the dejection and desperation that was clear in his voice.

"Heero, no." Duo repeated, more firmly, and put out his hand.

"Don't touch me." Heero snapped, but Duo put his hand on the boy's shoulder. Heero stared at the hand and then at Duo.

"I don't feel anything different." Duo said, calmly and Heero's eyes turned wide and questioning. "They may have done things to your body that I can't even begin to imagine, Heero, but they didn't, couldn't do anything to you. There are other things to you than your body. You mind your soul…your heart. Compared to these things, your body is irrelevant. And it's those parts that I've grown to know and love Heero. Putting your body aside, those parts of you will never change. Remember when I was trapped in Deathscythe? You deliberately went against orders to save my life, knowing that it was probability that you would die when you returned. Do you think that was what the doctors wanted? They wanted a perfect soldier, one that would obey every order. You didn't, Heero, you went against them to save me. No monster is capable of doing that."

There was a deathly silence. "And you can't hide from me, Heero." Duo went on, looking into his eyes. "I know you're scared, I can see it, but I can also see how you try to hide it. Who are you hiding it from? Them? Me? If it's me, then I already think you're incredible by just staying sane in this place."

There was another silence and this time Duo didn't break it. He could see the wheels spinning in Heero's brain, the deep blue eyes now closed.

After what felt like forever, he lifted his head and opened his eyes. Duo tried not to flinch. The pain, the overwhelming fear in those eyes was almost too much to bear.

"You…can have…no idea what it was like to wake up in this place again, Duo." Heero breathed, and this time the crack was obvious. "I…I…Duo!" the last word was a plea, a cry for help, and Duo acted on it. He pulled Heero firmly but gently into him and the boy, now shaking uncontrollably and breathing shakily and fast, collapsed into his chest. Leaning against the wall, Duo clutched at him, Heero's arms clenched into his own body. He felt the cracks of silent sobs shake the Wing pilot's body, and held on even tighter, leaning his head on the dark brown shock of hair. He felt like his heart was going to be pulled out of his chest. Heero had done it.

"Sshh, Heero. I'm here, it's going to be ok…"

"No…" Heero said in a sob, "No... It's not. They're going to hurt me, Duo…I don't want them to…don't let them, Duo, please!"

"Oh God, Heero." Duo cracked, the lump rising in his throat to affect his voice. He clutched the boy even tighter. "I…" he had no words and simply held the terrified boy closer to him as he shook terribly. His violet eyes clenched shut, he breathed in the scent of Heero's hair and suddenly wanted to swap, anything to stop them hurting him.

"Don't let go, Duo." Heero whispered.

"Never…ever." Duo replied, simply and felt Heero tighten his grip on his black top. "I'm not going anywhere. Just, try to get some sleep."

"No…" Heero said immediately, his face coming up to face Duo's. It was tear stained and white with fear. "I can't…I'll dream…I…"

"You can't dream bad things, Heero. I'm here, I won't let you. If you do, I'll wake you and you'll see me. It'll be fine. I'll be here." Duo soothed as Heero sank down so that his head was in Duo's lap. Duo put a hand on Heero's clenched fists that were on his chest, and his other hand stroked the boy's head. Heero gave Duo one gratifying look that Duo would have died to see, and then his eyes shut. His ragged breathing settled a little and the shaking died down.

"Duo?" he asked, after a while.

"Yeah?" Duo answered, still stroking his hair. 

"Was that crying?"

Duo had to swallow hard before he answered.

"Yeah," he replied, hoping he sounded stronger than he felt. "You never done it before?"

"Never needed to." Heero's voice was barely a croak. "And I was taught it was weak."

"Bullshit." Duo replied, gently, "I wouldn't be able to cope without crying every now and again."

"And you never say anything?" Heero asked and his eyes opened. Duo smiled, shrugging.

"Did you ever come to me?" he asked, and Heero's eyes seemed to understand before they closed again. Soon, he had drifted off into an uneasy sleep and Duo rested his head back against the wall. He was in control now, he was the one Heero needed, and that made him feel so warm and tingly that he wanted to burst. But he wished he didn't need to. He hated seeing Heero like this. At least he was talking to him again, though. Even if it was to cry for the first time…

Very soon, Duo had also fallen into an uncomfortable sleep. Heero didn't wake once, didn't need to, Duo's touch frightening all nightmare's away before they could rear their ugly heads. Both slept dreamlessly, their minds at a relative peace with each other even more so than they had ever been before.


	7. Chapter 7

****

Chapter 7

Duo's eyes flickered open and he breathed in deeply as he remembered where he was. As his senses woke up, he realised that someone was stroking his hand. He looked down. Heero was lying on his outstretched legs, one of Duo's hands still resting on his head, the other resting on Heero's chest. Heero had it in both hands and was gently circling it, his deep blue eyes staring at what he was doing. Duo smiled a little, his violet eyes warming, and gently stroked the boy's head. Heero stopped and looked up slowly. Duo's smiled became broader.

"Morning." He said, brightly. "Up long?"

"Not really." Heero replied, his voice slightly croaky. "I wasn't expecting to sleep at all."

"Yeah, well, miracles happen, huh?" Duo said, grinning. "Any idea what time it is?"

"Quite early."

"You got a watch?"

"No."

"Than how…oh yeah."

"Sorry."

"For what?"

Heero was silent.

" I don't know. For getting you into this mess."

Duo snorted.

"What the hell? This isn't your fault, how can it be?"

"I don't know." Heero replied, and went back to stroking Duo's hand and staring at it. Duo smiled, enjoying the tingling sensation he got when Heero did that.

They both jumped as a door clanged open. Heero sat up, his eyes wide. "They're coming." He said, and his voice trembled slightly. Duo frowned and put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're not getting anywhere." He said grimly and stood up.

"Duo you can't stop them…"

"Since when has that stopped me."

"Duo…"

"Heero, shut up." Duo said, and glared at where they were going to appear. He didn't actually care. They weren't taking Heero, not now, not ever. 

The two guards came into view. They were big men and carried large pistols. They sneered at Duo and opened the gate.

"Out the way, kid." One of them muttered.

"No." Duo said, calmly. They stopped and looked at each other. This was obviously not the answer they were expecting to get. One of them waved a pistol at him.

"Don't make me hurt you, kid." 

"Try." Duo said. He heard Heero get up behind him.

"Look, he's not gonna die." The other man said, but Duo saw the uncertain look his colleague gave him.

"Bullshit."

"Get outta the way!" he cried.

"Duo." Heero muttered, but Duo shrugged his restraining hand off roughly.

"They're not getting you, Heero." Duo said, firmly.

"Look, kid." One of them said, and took a step forward. Instantly, Duo slammed his foot into his groin and kneed him in the jaw. He fell backwards with a groan and Duo spun back up. He leapt back in front of Heero and looked up just in time to see the flash of red as the gun went off.

He yelled in pain and clutched his right thigh.

"Duo!" he heard Heero yell and found himself propped up against the back of the cell. He opened his eyes to see Heero's trembling face in front of his. Duo, dealing with the pain quite easily, he had been shot before, put a steady hand on Heero's cheek.

"I'm sorry, man." He said, grimacing.

"Sorry?" Heero asked, unbelievingly. 

"I couldn't…"

"Don't even think about apologising." Heero said, though he still shook and Duo felt he would burst from pride. Instead, he cupped Heero's face in his hand and pulled him forward. He placed a firm kiss on Heero's forehead in a sub-conscious repeat of Heero's action in Deathscythe. He felt Heero tense and then fall into him, shaking. Duo clamped his arms around the boy, whose face was buried into his own neck. He felt Heero nuzzle him and his eyes widened a little as tingles shot through his body. He buried his own face in Heero's neck and nuzzled him back, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Heero's neck was smooth and strong and, despite himself, he placed a small peck on the soft skin. He looked up to find the men coming towards him, but just before they dragged Heero off him, he felt a tiny butterfly kiss on his own neck which made him shudder.

As they dragged him over the cell he and Heero kept eye contact, words not needed.

"Live for me, Heero!" Duo yelled as he was taken out of sight.

"Duo!" Heero yelled back, simply, and then the door slammed and Duo flung himself back at the wall, the tears trying force themselves out. He didn't even want to know what was going to happen to the boy but wanted to be with him so badly. He wanted him full stop, his whole body ached for him and his heart longed for him. A thought jolted him to his senses. What if Trowa had been right? He hoped so more than anything in the world, and wished for Heero to be the same. He shook his head and one tear went down his cheek. If Heero lived through this, that is.

**************

Heero grunted as his back hit the cold wall of the room. Cold metal was clamped over his ankles and wrists and his now bare feet were standing on a cold iron ledge. He shivered as he watched the guard leave and slam the dark grey metal door behind him. The room was very square, very large and very white. His shackles were the only things in it apart from a massive mirror the other side of the room. He knew what that was. Not only could he see himself, but the room behind the mirror had the full view of him. He closed his eyes; he had forgotten how exposed it felt to be shackled, his arms and legs out and wide, naked, in the hands of madmen. He had hoped he would never have to remember. His insides warmed a little as he remembered the difference. Duo. Once this was done, he would go back and Duo would be there, Duo would help him. He almost laughed at himself. He had never in his life ever depended on somebody like this before, but this time, he didn't fight it; he couldn't. Duo may die, but he doubted it; the scientists usually wanted the subjects to be alive when they did experiments, but he was terrified of what they may do to him. He was terrified of what they were going to do to his own body, let alone Duo's. 

He jumped a little as the door opened and turned his head away from it, fighting the sick feeling in his stomach as he saw who it was. He sensed and heard J get closer and closer until he estimated that he was standing right in front of him.

"Ah, 043." J sighed and Heero shuddered. "How I have missed you."

Heero tried not to shiver and opened his eyes. The doctor was staring at him, looking him up and down and liking what he saw. His face came up to Heero's and he grinned. "Now, this experiment is to test your endurance. You will be left in here with no food or water, and I and my scientists will do whatever we deem is necessary to test it. Now," he started again, and Heero tried to ignore his faster breathing and the fact that J's voice was getting thicker with desire every word he spoke. He jumped violently as the doctor suddenly put his real hand on his own bare chest. "God, I've missed you." He breathed huskily, his other hand making its way down to his trousers. Heero clenched his eyes shut and simply thought of the braided boy that would be waiting for him when he came out. Duo, he thought, don't die. Be there when I get out of this.

**************

Heero sighed shakily, the effort burning his rib muscles. He hung limply in the shackles, to weak to hold himself up anymore. His body looked relatively clear, the healing properties he had been given before kicking in to heal him. But he ached. All over. Inside and out. It hurt. He had been here for…was it a week? He thought so. He had had no food or water since the day they had come and every day the scientists had been let loose on him, to do whatever they wished, which was usually something to do with sleeping with him. They seemed to have forgotten about the part where he agreed to it. He had stopped fighting, though, that just made it worse.

He had just been given a dose of something that would make him stronger. It was basically a whole lot of energy and nourishment injected into his bloodstream, but he wasn't feeling the effects yet. Probably because there had been another injection, another substance injected into him that made him feel so much worse. He was coming out today, able to go back to his cell and recuperate for a night, but that was small compensation for what he knew was coming the next day.

He didn't even look up as the door was opened. He felt himself being hauled out of the chains and a rough woollen blanket was thrown over him. One of the men then swept him up in his arms, carrying him roughly out of the door.

**************

Duo stretched a little painfully. The tests that they had been put through hadn't actually been that painful, yet. There had been the usual running on a running machine, hand to hand combat, co-ordination and that but nothing much else. Even so, the cell floors weren't exactly the most comfortable places to sleep. The other two were in the cell now as well, they didn't know why. He let his thoughts move back to Heero. He hadn't seen him for a week and would have gone crazy if it hadn't been for Trowa. He wondered what they were doing to him and shuddered, then thought about how they had parted and shuddered again, but differently.

All three jumped as they heard the door open and looked up. 

"Heero!" Duo cried as he came into view. The man opened the door and threw him to the ground roughly before locking it again. Duo crawled over to the boy, lying face down, the blanket covering his lower body. He was shaking, like he had done before and Duo turned him over onto his back. Heero's eyes were wide and desperate.

"Duo." He breathed before reaching for him. Duo drew the shaking boy into him, his own eyes wide and held on to him so tight he was a little afraid he would hurt him. Heero's arms around his neck were just as tight, however.

"Man, what did they do to you?" he asked after a short while.

"Endurance…no food or water...scientists…" he gasped, his voice cracking. Duo pulled away a little so that he could look in Hero's face but he turned away.

"What? What did they do?"

"They…had missed me…" Heero said, lamely. Duo heard Trowa draw in a breath behind him.

"They're not interested in you as in the character, are they Heero?" he asked, quietly and pointedly. Heero shook his head, still unable to look in Duo's eyes. Duo frowned, what did Trowa mean? If they hadn't missed his character, then that meant that they had missed his body and that meant…

"No!" he croaked and grabbed Heero back into him now both boys shaking. "Oh god," Duo breathed, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Are you?"

"I'm ok."

"No, you're not."

"I will…" Heero faltered and gripped Duo even tighter.

"What?" Duo asked, not wanting any more bad news but when Heero's voice, thick with tears and fear sounded he almost lost it completely.

"They….tomorrow…testing my healing powers."

"Jesus Christ!" Duo yelled and fought his own tears as Heero was overcome by his. Duo's stomach was shaking in rage at what the scientists had done to him but quivering in fear at what was to come.

"What does that mean?" he heard Wufei ask quietly.

"Oh, for fucks sake, what do you think?" he snapped. "They shoot him full of healing crap that makes sure his wounds heal but they need wounds to heal. What did you think I had just seen when you guys came in?"

There was awful silence, broken only by the barely suppressed sobs of the boy in Duo's arms.

"I'm not gonna let them take you, I'm not." Duo whispered. Heero's head shot up, his blue eyes so bright Duo was almost blinded by them.

"You can't." he blurted, "I won't have you getting hurt because of me again!"

"I don't care!"

"I do. Duo, please. They will kill you and then take me and I…I can't…I can't do it again if you're not gonna be there when I get out." He finished, pitifully. Duo nearly cried himself, in fact, he felt the tear going down his cheek. Heero admitting that he couldn't do something was bad enough but Heero admitting that he couldn't do something unless Duo was there…

"God, Heero." He croaked. "What are they doing to us?"

Heero shook his head and collapsed against Duo's chest again, tears not needed now. Duo manoeuvred them so that he was resting against a wall, Heero lying on his chest and between his legs so he was slightly propped up. The blanket covered his lower body and his arms were tightly on Duo's which were encircling him. Very slowly, Duo felt his breathing get more and more steady and then he was asleep. He wished Trowa and Wufei weren't there, he wanted to just let the tears fall down his face but he couldn't, not while they were watching him.

"Oh god." Trowa breathed, suddenly. Duo looked at him and got a sympathetic but impressed look back.

"He really trusts you, Maxwell." Wufei stated and their eyes fell on the sleeping boy in Duo's arms.

"We can have no idea what it's like to wake up in a place like this again." Duo whispered. "But I can have the best idea and I wish I didn't."

He bent down slowly and placed a kiss on Heero's head before resting his own head on the wall behind him. He hadn't the courage to close his eyes, but he found that he did anyway. He was actually scared stiff. Heero was usually the one who took care of things like this and to be the leader, to be the one that everybody was looking to, especially Heero scared him more than he admitted. Heero clinging to him like a life raft made him feel so special it would have been amazing if the situation wasn't so bad. He shuddered as he remembered what had to take place tomorrow and what he had to sit back and let them do. Heero, unfortunately was right. He was more important than Duo and Duo would be killed to get to him. He knew now that he couldn't let him do this alone. However much it took he would stay back and let them do it, just so that he could be there when he came out. That was his purpose in life right now; to be Heero's support, to be there. He had never felt so strongly about anything before in his life, but was almost certain that Trowa was right now, though he still couldn't admit what it meant.


	8. Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

Duo woke up cold. His eyes fluttered a few times and then opened fully. He immediately realised what was wrong. Heero had gone. He sat bolt upright and stared into the semi-guilty faces of Trowa and Wufei.

"What the hell?!" Duo snarled. They flinched a little.

"Heero made them take him quietly," he said in a low voice. "He didn't want you to be awake when they took him."

"Why?" Duo asked, more than a little hurt. Wufei shook his head gravely.

"He was a mess, Duo." He muttered, "I've never seen anyone try to put on such a brave face in the circumstances."

"Oh Heero." Duo moaned, putting his face in his hands, the annoying lump coming back into his throat. "When will you get it that I don't care?!"

The silence was broken by two guards walking up towards the door which was only a few feet from the far side of the cell. Duo's stomach flipped and he let out a crack of emotion as Wufei and Trowa drew in their breaths sharply. The guards were carrying five deadly looking knives. It was too much for Duo. He flung himself into the bars, rattling them furiously, yelling his throat out, it seemed. The guards stared at him lightly surprised and then Trowa's hands were on his shoulders, pulling him back.

"Let go, Barton!" Duo yelled, trying to lash out, but Wufei's hands caught him.

"I can't do that, Heero made me promise." Trowa said.

"Promise what?"

"That we would keep you calm so that the guards wouldn't kill you." Wufei said sharply. His face and voice softened. "He needs you Duo, he…"

Wufei was rudely cut short by the door opening. Suddenly, a perfect soundtrack of what was going on in there was echoing around the hall…and it was not a pretty mental image. They could hear the manic laughter of the doctors, but worst of all, they could hear Heero screaming. Duo leapt up again, the scream piercing his ice protected heart and he slammed against the bars. Before he could shout out, the door had closed and there was silence again.

He collapsed, his knees buckling under him, pictures flooding through his head of what they would be doing to him. Ever so slowly, he began to fell the ice cold thrill of panic set in accompanied by what must have been near insanity. He moaned Heero's name, hugging his legs close to him, and fought it. Heero needed him sane, Heero needed him full stop, he couldn't break down now, he couldn't! Strong hands gripped his arms and pulled him into a fiercely protective embrace.

"Fight it, Maxwell." He heard Wufei's stern voice say.

"For Heero." Trowa added. Duo scrunched up his face and yelled with effort as he dragged his mind from the brink of the cold black pit it was falling into. Heero needed him and that was the only thing that mattered. His eyes opened and he gripped Trowa hard.

"I'm alright." He panted, after a while. "I'm ok."

"You sure?" Trowa asked as Duo pushed away from him.

"Sure." Duo answered.

There was silence for another twenty minutes before the far door opened and they heard voices that made Duo's heart leap.

"Any reason why he keeps on saying it?"

"Well, apparently it's the name of the braided one."

"Must mean a lot."

"Yeah, apparently." One of the men said as they came into view, and Duo's heart, instead of leaping, stopped. It was them. The tall, thin men with the briefcases. He saw Trowa and Wufei stiffen beside him.

"Does that K.K. mean what I think it does?" Trowa asked. Duo nodded, dumbly. The men looked over at him.

"Stay away from him." Duo threatened, his violet eyes blazing. The man simply laughed. The door was opened again and there was no audible noise from it…until the men came in.

"No!" the was a cracked plead that set Duo on fire again. "No…please! You can't…"

"Shut up, boy!" he heard the doctor shout, and then the door started closing. Duo flung himself at the bars again.

"Heero!" he yelled, as loud as he could, making the guards put their hands over their ears. The door was only just open, but they all heard Heero's reply.

"Duo! Duo, get me out of here, please! Duo!" he was cut off by the door and Duo pushed himself away from the bars fiercely, turning to the others.

"We have to get him out." He said, as soon as he was sure his voice wouldn't break. The two simply nodded dumbly. Duo turned to glare at the guards as they stood up. Gone was the panicked teenager. Here stood Shinigami. God of Death.

**************

Heero hurt. Everywhere. The stings had gone down from the numerous cut wounds but it was also the fact that he wasn't concentrating on them right now that helped. He stared, his deep blue eyes wide in fear at the men who had just come in. The were just as he remembered them; tall, dark, bald and delicate. Their long white fingers grasped the handles of their briefcases and his stomach shrank away into nothing as he remembered what was in them.

"No…no…" he moaned, writhing a little, but his body was tired and sore and wouldn't move for him; he couldn't get out this. "Duo…" he found himself murmuring, but even the thought of the violet eyes smiling at him wouldn't calm his panic. The chill intensified with every step they took, their cold, un humorous smiles adding to the cold. "God...please!" he yelled, forgetting his pride as they stopped in front of him. He looked to J, his eyes pleading with him but the man just smiled at him. The other doctors did the same and the guards wouldn't meet his eyes. In fact, if he had been concentrating he would have seen that all of them would rather be the other side of the planet than here.

He struggled, gasping for air loudly, his fringe flopping against his face as they bent down to open the cases. There were three of them in total, all with their own set of "instruments."

His breathing became faster and shallower as the man directly in front of him and he whimpered quietly as he saw what was in the man's hand. He remembered that one well. It was silver, as all K.K instruments were, and had a thick, elaborately decorated handle. The instrument itself was simple. A small rod, about 11 cm long and a dark silver. The end was tapered to a point so sharp it looked like it could cut through air if it wanted to. "Please…" he gasped, desperately, but the man just gave him a small polite smile before flicking his grey eyes down to Heero's shoulder. 

Heero was too busy trying to lean as far back as possible to realise the other men moving, and jumped when two pairs of cold, scarily strong fingers held him. One hand held his arm, one his shoulder at the join to his neck and the others held his body still. The only thing that could move on his upper body was his head. As the point got closer and closer to his shoulder, very slowly (this was part of the style of torture), Heero forgot about pride, nearly forgot about breathing. He could hear someone screaming and his brain told him that it was his own voice, but it sounded muffled and far away. The man and especially the instrument seemed to come into sharper focus than anything else and all his sense seemed to have been heightened.

He jumped violently as he felt the sharp prick of the point touch his shoulder joint. The man drew it away and then came again, applying more pressure. The prick became a sharp pang as it was driven in millimetre by millimetre. This was ok, he could deal with this, but he knew what was coming next and kept screaming. He yelped as the point touched bone and the man looked up at him. Heero pleaded with his eyes for him to stop, but the man grinned and turned back. Pain flooded over him again and again as the man pretended to search for what he was looking for, but Heero knew that he knew perfectly well where it was. He would draw it out and insert it in another place, hit the bone a few times then repeat it. Again he did this, and again and again until Heero's breath was coming out in pained gasps, Duo's name forming on his lips every time he breathed out.

He yelled and scrunched up his eyes as the man found it. The actual joint. Violet eyes bubbled in and out of his vision as the man found a comfortable position and then it started. As pressure was fiercely applied to the point, Heero knew that he couldn't do this. Yells weren't needed and all that came out was a raw shriek of agony as the pole was waggled gradually into the joint, finding all the crevices and searching for the main junction. It was hell, Heero knew he had to be dead because nothing could be this painful in life. He nearly choked as he felt another prick on his other shoulder and dimly recalled that it meant the pain would be worse. Another prick was made at the back of his neck where the vertebrae meant the shoulder bones.

One by one, the men manoeuvred the poles so that they were actually in the joint and then stopped, holding them in there. Heero stopped yelling for a few minutes but didn't relax; he had no idea when they would suddenly all start again. His breath came in starts, his throat hurt from yelling, his stomach hurt from tensing and his shoulders and neck were on fire. His body shook from the pain and he didn't bother to adjust to it because he knew that there was worse to come. "Duo…" he breathed, his heart almost breaking for the pure need of the Deathscythe pilot here. If only he could…

His thoughts were cut short by his own delayed yell of agony. The men had started. They roughly yet elegantly were slowly prising his joints apart, but doing it the long way. Bit by bit, ever so slowly, causing Heero to nearly faint. He wished he would, but these guys were too good to let him do that. He knew he would die form this, he had to, God wasn't that unkind. With three high cries, he felt the joints give way and then the men fell back.

Now he relaxed. They had to see what was going to happen to him before the doctors let them do anything else. His arms hung limply, out of place because the shoulder joints were totally out. His head seemed to be resting on his shoulders, the vertebrae separated, but so skilled were the workers that no nerves or anything had been torn. It hurt so badly he retched, but nothing came; he had nothing. He couldn't even do that. He wanted Duo, he needed Duo. He needed to be held, to be touched. His body was shaking and he felt like he was freezing cold yet boiling hot at the same time. It was like he had no control over his body at all. With small moans he recognised his body responding. His neck snapped back into place and he cried out with the sharp pain and sickening crack. His shoulders did the same the torn nerves screaming at him so he yelled again. But he was fine. The wounds on his shoulders and neck started healing, the unbearable pins and needles this caused making him squirm.

"Fantastic." He dimly heard J exclaim. "And only that in what…twenty minutes? That is a feat."

"We are good at what we do." The main torturer told him and Heero shuddered. "He is a fabulous recipient; so soft and vulnerable yet tougher than leather."

"Well, don't let me stop you." The doctor said and Heero tensed again as he looked up, seeing the men bend down again and give each other looks. He moaned loudly, his stomach disappearing once again as he saw which one it was now. The worst. They used this one over and over again last time. It was their favourite. They called it the dissector and he had soon worked out why. They would make little dotted lines of cuts along his body that would be like the biological diagrams in biology labs at schools, but would then, starting from the top and going down, go along them and dissect him, bit by bit. Unfortunately with him, by the time they had done the first dissection, the lines had disappeared so that had to do it all over again.

He watched, heart beating far too fast as two men knelt down by his feet and the main one came right up to his chest, grinning at him. Snickering slightly, he placed the too long, too sharp scalpel directly on Heero's sternum, and pressed down, slowly. There was a stab of pain and Heero felt a drop of blood trickle down over his trembling stomach. 

"No dots." The man rasped and the other two nodded, watching for his signal to begin. He placed the scalpel higher, right on Heero's collar bone, grinned at him, and then suddenly brought his hand in a smooth downward action. Heero tensed, a cry coming from his lips and tears springing from his eyes. He looked down. There was a thin red line the whole way down the dead centre of his chest and blood seeped from it all the way down. Taking another scalpel from one of the others, the man approached, his hand held in such a way that told Heero he was wanting to look in his inside. He braced himself for the pain this would bring, his chest already smarting.

"Duo…" he murmured, "Duo…"

He didn't want this to happen, he wanted to go home. The tears silently trickled down his face in floods and he trembled with every part of his body he had. He felt the cold touch and sting of the two scalpels on either side and then…

The door slammed open and there were familiar cries, one louder than the rest. Heero opened his eyes immediately, knowing that it couldn't be happening. It was. Duo had slammed through the door followed by the other pilots and the four generals. They flew into the room, machine guns blazing and pandemonium started. Heero watched in terror as Duo's blazing violet eyes travelled over to him and then lie on the man cowering at Heero's chest. His face turned into a grim snarl and he started sprinting over, shooting the other two. The man scrambled to behind Heero and Duo's eyes widened at the cut which still hadn't healed yet.

Heero tried to cry out but it was too late. J had catapulted into the running Shinigami and they had tumbled to the floor. He watched in awe, pride and hope as the God of Death quickly showed that he was too good for the doctor. Suddenly hitting him so he fell to the ground, the doctor fled. Duo's eyes blazed but then met Heero's sending him on fire. He strained as much as he could but it wasn't much; his body was spent. The braided boy started sprinting towards him, the eye contact never leaving and the din seemed non existent.

Suddenly, the main torturer leapt out and threw the scalpels at him. Heero cried out his name as the one scalpel hit Duo, burying itself deep in his arm. The violet eyes darkened as the boy pulled it out without wincing and when he looked up even Heero trembled before him.

"You…fucking…barbaric…bastard!" he yelled and flew at him. The man screamed but was cut short by his neck being snapped and then Duo reached him. Strong arms were flung around his neck and a warm cheek was nuzzled against his own. Heero's breath came in sobs; he couldn't help it and Duo pulled away a little before kissing him. Heero froze in shock, but Duo's lips moving against his was almost too much to bear and he kissed back, hungrily, needing the touch and the comfort. After all he had been through, it felt so good, it felt too good. Duo couldn't be kissing him and yet the evidence was going against it.

"Oh God, Heero." Duo breathed, kissing Heero's face fiercely and protectively. "Oh God."

"Duo." Heero breathed, weakly, his own voice too far gone to break as Duo's was. "You came."

"Of course I fucking came!" Duo answered him, stopping to let his tear filled eyes meet Heero's. "It's over, Heero. We're gone, getting out of here. You're safe."

The happiness and relief in Heero's eyes nearly killed him and he kissed him again, feeling the boy pull his restraints to get closer to him. He was on fire in every way possible, but there was something missing. He pulled away reluctantly from the kiss and his stomach flipped at Heero's grunt of protest. He looked down at one of the scalpels which would be perfect but he couldn't bring himself to touch them so he reached for the machine gun. He broke every single bond and dropped the gun as Heero fell into his arms. They sat on the floor, Heero clutching at Duo as tight as possible, both breathing hard, both closing their eyes and both never letting go.

They jumped as somebody knelt down beside them. Opening their eyes, they saw it was Treize and his concerned face puzzled them.

"Is he ok?" he asked Duo, urgently.

"He will be." Duo replied.

"We have to get him out of here."

"I'll carry him."

"No you won't. Get that blanket from the cell, I'll carry him." Treize ordered and Duo reluctantly let go, kissing Heero briefly before running off. Heero looked after him, a little panicked but then Treize picked him up in his warm, strong arms and pressed him close. "Don't worry, Yuy he'll be back. I'm not taking you anywhere without him."

Heero was too surprised at this sudden change in Treize's attitude to say anything and so just relaxed as much as he could without Duo here as Treize carried him over to the door, the others checking that everybody was dead before they followed him.


	9. Chapter 9

****

Chapter 9

As they sped through the corridors, Duo flung the woollen blanket over the boy in Treize's arms before running beside him.

"Zechs!" Treize called to the man just behind them.

"Sir?"

"Get in front of us and get the car ready. I'm going to want to be able to leave yesterday. Move it!"

"Right on, sir." The Lightning Count replied and sped past them, disappearing up the halls. Duo swore, as did Treize, as an alarm sounded. They ran through a red door and proceeded to sprint up a long, straight passage going up. They came out a secret door and then sped through right angled corridors, Duo's breath coming in gasps as he wore out. They shot out of the door, the guard lying in a pool of blood beside it, and sprinted out of the alleyway.

Zechs was sitting in the drivers seat of a truck. Duo sprinted ahead and pulled the large sliding door in the side open. Treize leapt in with Heero followed by the others. After Lady Une had leapt in, Duo jumped up and closed the door behind him. The truck sped off and all was dark, the only sound being the panting of the runners. Duo, listening as hard as he could, distinguished Heero from the pained gasps. He made his way blindly over to the other side, producing a few cries of pain but he didn't care.

"Heero?" he asked as he put out his hand. Cold, shaking fingers gripped it and he gripped it back, following the arm until he could rest his other hand protectively on Heero's chest. "You're out, man. We did it."

"We're not out yet." A deep voice reminded them.

"Right on it." Noin's voice said, and she started having a conversation with the space port officials. Duo just kept holding Heero, no words needing to be said right now, only touch needed.

After a few minutes, broken by trying to stay upright as Zechs dodged the crowds, Noin put her phone away.

"Alright, our private plane is ready and we have permission to take off as soon as we get there. The others are being held back because of "technical difficulties" according the population."

"Great. Well done, Lu." Treize said, and then the truck came to a halt. 

"Get out!" came the voice of the driver and they did so, blinking in the light as they leapt out of the truck. Duo stayed close to Treize as they darted through the disgruntled crowds.

"Sorry!"

"Pardon me!"

"Coming through!"

"Excuse me!"

"Outta the way!"

Their voices echoed over the empty hall and there were a few overly dramatic howls of pain as people were run into. They had just reached the exit when the entrance doors slammed open as a dozen lab guards came in.

"Shit!" Dou exclaimed.

"Everybody get down!" one the guards shouted and the whole room went into panic mode, apart from the nine people dashing out of the building.

They sprinted over to the ship, Zechs already halfway in it. By the time Duo had made sure they were all in and the door was secure, the plane was half taking off. He ran to the window to join the other pilots and swore heavily. He laid a hand on Trowa's shoulder and the Heavyarms pilot nodded gravely before they sprinted out of the room.

They ran to opposite ends of the ship and climbed up into the two turrets at the back where the engines and hidden weaponry was. Duo climbed into the seat and turned on the target lock. The heavy armoured and armed vehicles coming toward them would distract Zechs from piloting as well as damage the ship. He shoved headphones on.

"Trowa man, you there?"

"Loud and clear, Duo."

"You boys be careful, do not hit the port." Zechs told them through his own headphones.

"No worries, Count L." Duo shouted and drew out the firing device. "Let's do this."

"For Heero." Trowa said, and laughed as a sudden flurry of machine gun activity burst from the other turret. "Calm down, Maxwell or they'll be none left for me!" he cried, laughing and heard an almost manic whoop of success as the first of the eight vehicles blew up spectacularly.

"Oh yeah!" Duo shouted and then the plane started moving. "Come on Barton you gotta get one too!" he yelled and Trowa was only too happy to oblige. By the time the ship had taken off, there were only four vans left. The floor dropped from beneath them and soon the sky turned dark as they got into space. 

Duo sighed, totally at peace now and took the headphones off his head. He clambered down and went back to the room, giving Trowa a high five as they entered.

"Well done boys. Now all we need to do is let auto pilot take us home." Zechs said as they entered. 

"Where's Heero?" Duo asked.

"Noin has him in the sick room. Go see him." Treize said, warmly and Duo actually had time to stare at him this time.

"Since when do you care so much?" he asked. Treize shrugged, smiling a little. Duo looked down and then back up, his face deadly serious but warm. "Thanks man. I mean it." He said before walking out of the room.

**************

"He's in there." He heard Noin say. He was sitting on a bed, loose black trouser covering his lower body, his upper body still bare. He was totally healed physically, thanks to the doctors, but was still shaking, just. The room was quite dark and had no windows, the only light coming from the door which was ajar. The light got brighter as it opened and dimmed as it closed again. He looked up, and blue met violet once again. They stayed there for a long while, just staring at each other, their eyes never leaving the other's.

Duo took a timid step forward. Suddenly it was all tense between them, awkward and he knew why. He hadn't meant to kiss Heero like he had done and he knew Heero knew it, but what did Heero think it was? Heero on the other hand, was thinking the same but reversing the roles. He broke the eye contact and stared at the floor, the silence continuing.

"You ok?" Duo asked, finally, for the sake of saying something. Heero nodded. "Really?" he nodded again. "Truly?"

"Duo." He said suddenly and saw the boy jerk a little. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Ask questions you already know the answer to. Ask questions you know I can't answer."

There was silence. Duo frowned a little, surprised at this sudden burst of wisdom.

"What do you mean, can't answer? Do you mean, can't answer full stop, or do you mean can't answer with words?"

Heero looked up at him, startled at how the boy could read his mind. His slightly pleading blue eyes met Duo's shaking violet ones. He couldn't hold it and looked down again, taking a deep breath as he tried to keep calm. He jumped as he felt Duo sneak up so he was sitting right beside him and looked up, those beautiful violet eyes too close for comfort. "If I told you that you had to answer me," Duo asked, his voice a breathless whisper that sent shivers all along Heero's body. "If you had to, but not in words, what would you do?"

Heero froze, knowing what Duo was asking him to do and with those violet eyes blazing with emotion into his own, it was simple to close the tiny distance between their lips so that they met. Duo's lips were warm and soft, yielding to Heero's own touch. But they were also impassive and Heero drew away, frightened he had done something wrong

Duo caught the guilty and embarrassed gleam in the bright blue eyes before Heero turned his head away and immediately caught his face in his hands. He turned the slightly trembling boy's head back to his own and gazed into Heero's deep blue eyes, losing himself in them finally. "I was so hoping you'd do that." He breathed hurriedly, before giving in and pulling Heero towards him. Heero's firm lips met his own and he kissed him gently.

They repeated what had happened in the lab, but slower, more gentle, more loving than before. Duo's lips travelled softly over Heero's face, his hands on either side of it, holding it to him. Heero's hands rested on Duo's arms and he let himself be kissed, let himself fall slowly into somewhere he had no comprehension of. When Duo's lips came back to his own he caught them and held them there, caressing them. He felt Duo shudder and smiled inside at his own affect. When Duo's tongue suddenly found its way through his lips though, he froze, totally incapable of doing anything. He heard Duo chuckle, but there was no mockery in his laugh. 

Duo explored Heero's mouth with his tongue, his taste nearly driving him crazy. He had dreamt unknowingly of doing this for so long it was almost impossible that he as actually doing it. He felt Hero's hands slip from his arms and wrap around his waist, pulling him closer in as he caught Duo's tongue gently between his teeth, holding it still while he mercilessly teased it. Despite himself, Duo let out a small grunt of pleasure and felt Heero smile under his lips. Gently, his tongue was released and Heero explored his own mouth. He felt so good it wasn't true, Heero was kissing him and letting him kiss him back. Life could not get any better.

His stomach disappeared as he felt Heero push down gently and they lowered each other down so they were lying side by side on the bed. Duo's hands came down from Heero's face and wrapped them selves around the boy, pulling him closer as he once again took control. Heero simply let Duo take his mouth trusting him entirely, the fact of which made Duo nearly cry with joy as the boy surrendered himself to him. They stayed that way for a long time, just kissing and being kissed by each other. Now that they had found it out they didn't want it to stop and feared losing it but deep down there was a warmth, a glow that told hem that they wouldn't. They worked together, were with each other every day and they had their whole lives to explore each other. Neither of them could carry down that road for too long, it was too much for either of them to handle.

They both knew they weren't ready for words, even Duo couldn't use them right now but it wasn't needed. Even when they finally stopped and Heero nuzzled deep into Duo's chest they said nothing, simply content to hold or be held, the horrors of the past week making them shudder but then fading into nothing.

Heero, though, needed something. He had to make sure that this wasn't just a comfort thing for Duo because he didn't think he could handle it if it was. Yet he wasn't good with words, he didn't know how to use them so it was a good five minutes before he plucked up the courage to say anything.

"St…Stay with me, Duo?" he asked, timidly. Duo tightened his grip, knowing what that question really meant and melting with pleasure as he heard him say it. It was a stark contrast to the proud Heero he knew and he almost shivered with the knowledge of the pleasure he would give to Heero through his answer.

"Always." He replied softly and felt the Wing pilot tighten his grip on his chest. "I wouldn't go anywhere if a Gundam tried to drag me away."

Heero looked up at him, a slight smile on his face before it went serious.

"You really mean that?" he asked and Duo smiled before he too went serious.

"Listen, I'm not ready for the stuff that makes the world go round, but then again, neither are you. So, I guess, that means that we get to explore everything else and see if we get to that stuff someday. If I ever get to that stage, Heero, I want it to be with you." He ended, finally and matter of factly, the order-like quality of his voice forcing a rare smile from Heero's face, his blue eyes lighting up. "God, you know you really should smile more often." Duo said. "Just not in a briefing." He added, after a moment of thought. Heero frowned.

"Why?"

"Well, when you smile it means I just have to kiss you and I don't think Treize will be too happy about me suddenly jumping you when he's trying to brief us on a mission." Duo replied. Heero smiled again and chuckled. Duo pulled away from him, mock surprised. "Was that laughter I just heard there, Mr. Yuy? Really, I'm all of a flutter!" he cried an a fake falsetto. 

"Shut up, baka." Heero growled, sending excited shivers up Duo's spine before rolling so he was on top of him and kissing him firmly and swiftly on the mouth. He pulled away and Duo's breath caught at the mischievous look in his eyes. "I've just found another way to shut you up." he said, matter of factly and Duo laughed, loving the smile it brought.

They simply smiled at each other for a few moments before the smiles faded and the chilled memories came back. Heero opened his mouth to say something but Duo pulled him roughly down onto him so that his head was on Duo's chest.

"Shut up and don't say anything." He breathed.

"Yes sir." He heard Heero mutter, muffled a little. Still, they held on to each other tightly for a while, neither of them wanting to stir at all. 

Suddenly there was a crackling from the intercom. 

"…Maxwell and Yuy this is Treize. If you could drag yourselves away from….whatever you are doing then please do so. Briefing, now…." there was a sound like the microphone being handed over and then Trowa's amused voice came over the intercom.

"That generally means "Get out of bed."" He said and they heard the others chuckle before the microphone was put down. Heero's head came up and their eyes met, both blue and violet highly amused before Duo burst out with laughter, Heero quietly laughing on top of him.

"How do they know?" he asked, smiling.

"Oh, well, the fact that I burst in, busted the doctor's ass and then kissed you might have been a give away." Duo said, and Heero rolled his eyes. "No, really. I think Trowa knew anyway." he said and Heero frowned at him , demanding an explanation Duo simply shrugged and then reluctantly sat up, making Heero get up as well. 

They stood up and went out of the room, blinking in the light. Heero shivered, and Duo read the signs better than even Heero did himself. An arm slipped about his waist and Heero gave him a small gratified smile before leaning into him and letting Duo's arms encircle him as they walked.

They came into the room and they all looked over. At exactly the same time they all smiled exactly the same smile, but it was Quatre who broke the silence.

"Oh, finally!" he cried, leaping up and running over to them. He wrapped an arm round both of them and hugged them tightly. "Heero you gave us all such a scare!" he added as he turned away.

"Well, thanks for getting us out of there." Heero replied and Duo smiled at the impressed look the four generals gave him. They had never heard him thank anyone before. Trowa now stood up, his emerald eyes saying more than words could as he smiled at them. Quatre ran back into his arms and he sat on the sofa, Duo and Heero doing them same, their heads resting on each others.

"Well, we still don't actually know if they were up to anything in the way we wanted." Treize said. "But, Quatre did manage to get the disk so we can find out. Mission accomplished. I have to say now that I think you all should be very proud of yourselves. That place looked like hell and I think that one person in particular needs to be congratulated on his keeping sane abilities."

"Go Heero." Noin said, voicing all their opinions. Duo looked down and saw Heero's blue eyes gleaming as Treize brown eyes nodded an approval at him. Duo smiled knowingly at Trowa who returned it. The respect of a friend was satisfactory for Heero, but the respect of a commanding officer who usually takes every opportunity to put him down must mean something a whole lot more. Duo found himself chuckling and kissed Heero on the head. When he got a questioning look he laughed even more.

"You know, you're so unpredictably predictable it's cute." He said. Heero frowned and then smiled a little as the others laughed. The two boys snuggled up to each other even more. They had done it, Heero had dealt with the past and they had each other now, finally, after all they had been through. Arms tightened around each other privately as the whole group talked and laughed, the two pilots alone in their own little world, happy and content with each other at last. They may not be ready for the big stuff, but they were closer than seemed possible to it, even if they tried to deny it. It wasn't going to go away and they were not going to fight it.


End file.
